


Apprentice of Death: Book 1

by InkStainedHands1177



Series: Apprentice of Death Books [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Voldemort, BAMF Harry Potter, Canon? What Canon?, Female Harry Potter, Gen, Government Propoganda, Harry is a Little Shit, Harry lies all the time, Magically Powerful Harry Potter, Mature Harry Potter, Ministry of Magic is screwed up, Necromancer Harry, Necromancy, Nice Albus Dumbledore, Protective Death, Things will get far far worse before they get better, This Is Not Going To Go The Way You Think, Trustworthy Albus, Warning: Tom Riddle, but so is tom, horrible dursleys, watch out for easter eggs and crossover cameos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-16
Updated: 2019-11-30
Packaged: 2021-01-31 16:40:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 41,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21449380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InkStainedHands1177/pseuds/InkStainedHands1177
Summary: Harry didn’t know much about her parents. All she knew was that when she was one year old, a horrible man came and killed her father and mother and tried to kill her.She only knew this because the blond man wrapped in a cloak told her so.The blond man called himself Death.
Relationships: background and one-sided Albus Dumbledore/Gellert Grindelwald, canon relationship - Relationship, nothing to speak of...yet
Series: Apprentice of Death Books [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1546282
Comments: 120
Kudos: 553





	1. Necromancy

**Author's Note:**

> I've already written up to book six, and am currently in the middle of book seven, so the updates will not be erratic (unless Life dictates them to be).  
Enjoy!  
Ink...

Harry didn’t know much about her parents. All she knew was that when she was one year old, a horrible man came and killed her father and mother and tried to kill her. 

She only knew this because the blond man wrapped in a cloak told her so. 

The blond man called himself Death. 

He’s been her friend since she could remember, since he came by her home in Godric’s Hollow to collect the souls of her parents. 

He told her everything about the magical world and how much her life was going to change when she turned eleven. She’d get a letter from a school called Hogwarts and become a witch.

Harry looked up at the sky and smiled when she felt the chill spread in the air and the plants she was tending to shiver. 

“Hello Death.” She looked up at the being as he stood beside her. 

“Happy fifth birthday, Harriet.” He smiled down at her and then crouched beside her. “Lilies?”

“I thought it was appropriate, considering my mother’s name was Lily and lilies are your favorite flower.” She smiled and then saw a rat creep past. With a frown, she reached out her hand and tugged on the life energy inside it. The rat turned to dust immediately. 

“You’re becoming quite adept at Energy Manipulation, Harriet.” He chuckled and pulled back his hood. Harry liked it when he showed his face. She didn’t understand why he kept himself hidden. He looked nice. Strong jaw, no marks on his face, and shoulder length blond hair. His eyes were a light stormy grey. 

“You said at Hogwarts I’ll be able to learn all about other types of magic you haven’t taught me. Why don’t they teach Death Magic there too?”

“Well, Death Magic has a different name to most magical folk, Harriet. They call it Necromancy. It’s considered bad magic.”

Harry frowned up at him. “Why?” She pulled up two more weeds.

He chuckled and shook his head. “Mortals tend to allow themselves to be controlled by fear. They fear the unknown, thus they fear death, the afterlife, the dark, dark water, shadows, strangers, and many other things. You have no need to fear these things.”

Pulling up another weed, Harry frowned at him. “Why not?”

“Because you are my apprentice and my mistress.” He reached out and touched the mark on her wrist. A triangle inside a circle with a line going down through the middle. “You cannot die.”

He tapped it, and it glowed a ghostly white. “You cannot die and thus you have no fear of death.” Death stared at her. “You aren’t frightened of me, are you?”

Giggling, Harry shook her head. “No.” She pulled another weed and caused it to turn to ash. “But if other people are, then will I have to keep you a secret?” Her green eyes were wide.

Nodding, Death smiled at her softly. “Don’t worry, Harriet. I can still be with you, but I’ll be invisible to everyone except you. Okay? Just like we are now.”

“Can I tell my friends?”

“Friends?” He smiled at her in amusement. 

“Well of course.” She brushed her hands off. “Dudley isn’t going to my school since he doesn’t have magic. That means I can have friends.” She smiled brightly up at Death. “I can have as many friends as I want.”

“You’ll have to wait and see if you can trust your friends, Harriet. Some people can’t keep secrets as well as you or I.” She nodded somberly and then finished up the garden before standing up. “Just a moment, Harriet.” He smiled at her and pulled something out. “I have something for your birthday. I made it myself.” 

She gasped at it. It was a very pretty wand. “For me?!”

“Just for you, Harriet. You’ll be getting another wand, but I have a secret to tell you. Wizards and witches can use more than one at a time. It’s called Dual Magic. I can teach you that too.” He winked at her. Harry gave him a quick and tight hug. 

“Thank you, Death!” He chuckled and patted her on the back. Pulling away, Harry looked at the big house she was staying in. “I’d better get back inside now. Uncle Vernon will want his coffee soon.”

She turned away, missing the dark scowl on Death’s face. He didn’t like how the young girl was abused in this house.  _ Just a few more decades and then they will be under my jurisdiction. Then we’ll find out just how cocky that walrus is.  _ Death smiled and then stood too.

“I have to leave as well. An old lady is about to die next door.”

Harry stared at him in awe. “Can I watch you collect the soul?! Please?!”

Pursing his lips, Death looked around and then smiled at her. “You’re too young still, Harriet. You’re magic isn’t quite mature. Wait until you turn eleven. Then I’ll take you on a collection trip. Okay?”

She nodded happily. “Okay, Death.” She jumped when she heard Uncle Vernon. “Gotta go! Bye!” She raced off back to the house. Death watched her black hair flying behind her and smiled softly.

_ The best decision I have ever made in my life. This girl has made my world much more amusing than ever before! _ He chuckled and vanished in the soft shadows.

~three years later~

Harry bit her lip and waved her wand of African Rosewood, thirteen inches, and the thread of Death’s cloak as it’s core. 

Gaining courage, she snapped her wand straight upward, watching the moon play among the clouds. Death was directly behind her, watching as she directed the skeletal creatures in a dance around the backyard of number four Privet Drive. 

Death smiled in approval. She was excelling in Animation and Energy Manipulation. The wand he had made for her had taken to her like a duck to water. They were perfectly paired. 

“Excellent control, Harriet. Now, release them. Let them rest.”

She swiftly cut her wand in a slashing motion from right to left and the creatures fell to pieces and were reabsorbed into the earth. 

Death caught her before she could fall to the ground as well. “It takes a lot of energy at first and then you will have more strength, the more you practice. It’s like exercising. The muscles will come eventually.”

“Is it possible to summon the dead?” She struggled to stand up on her own.

“Yes, but the dead stay dead. You can summon them for a short time, but they must return to their world. Would you like to learn that next?”

Harry thought about it and then shook her head. “No. I’ll save that for later when I have more control. Right now, it’s hard to control things that are just bones glued together by magic. You said summoning souls is much harder.” She looked at him shakily. “After I’ve mastered Animation, can we move onto Shadow Manipulation?”

He smiled and nodded. “Yes, Harriet. I’ll teach you how to control shadows and treat them like living ribbons that can bring comfort and cushion from a fall, or use them for death and danger like razors. I can also teach you how to travel through the underworld via those shadows. Apparating has nothing on this.” He winked when she laughed. 

After they cleaned up, Harry slipped back into her cupboard, and he vanished into the night. 


	2. First Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter Tom Riddle

~two years later~

Harry turned and trudged down the sidewalk away from her school. She frowned when she thought she saw Death among the people. Looking closer, she beamed. He  _ was  _ there! Looking around, she noticed that no one was there to notice her. She raced up to him. “Hey!” He blinked and then smiled.

“You took me by surprise. Be careful Harriet. I can be seen at the moment.”

She faltered. “You’re collecting someone’s soul?”

He nodded. Harriet knew the rules. As long as he was collecting a person’s soul, then he had to show himself to the world of the living. If he wasn’t then he could be invisible. He only collected souls personally instead of divvying it out to a Reaper when the soul had caught his interest. 

“Come, Harriet. I know I said I would wait, but you’re learning so quickly and so well, that I think it’s time for you to see a collection. Stay silent and don’t bring attention to yourself.” He smiled at her and extended his hand to her.

“Okay.” She looked both eager and grim. Soul Collecting had always made her uneasy. This person was a complete stranger to her, but eventually, she would see a friend or someone she knew go through this. It wasn’t something to be happy about, but it was also a natural part of life’s circle. 

They entered the house, and Harry watched as Death pulled out a long scythe and touched the very tip to the person’s chest, then he pulled back and a long thick thread of light came with it, wriggling and lashing against it like a fish caught on a hook. Death grabbed it and pulled it off his scythe. With his scythe, he cut a hole through the fabric of realities and sent the soul to the Underworld. Harry knew all about that place. 

Death had given her a tour, showed her the different demons and ghosts to be wary of and which ones to trust. She met her first Dementor, beings that Death formed himself. She also met her first banshee and her first ghoul and her first wraith. Death showed her how to hold her own against any creature of his who went rogue- as they have been known to do from time to time.

It had been a very informative trip.

She had also been six.

Harry stared at the dead person. “Why do people have to die?”

“Why do they have to be born?”

She scrunched up her nose at that. Death did that a lot. He answered her questions with his own questions. “Because they have to live?”

“And because they have to die. People are born to do great things, as the Dark Lord did. Not all great things are only good or evil, but they are still great just the same. If they are not born, then they cannot perform those things. But just as when they were born, they must die. Everything comes to an end. Everything.” He stared at her and then motioned for her to follow him out. 

She held onto his hand and then watched as they stepped into a shadowed corner. The world sped up and grew much colder. She heard spirits calling her name as she passed through the Underworld. Then, she stepped through a shadowy doorway and into the world of the living, still holding Death’s hand. He let go of her, and they walked side by side down the sidewalk towards her home. 

“I’m ten years old now.” She looked up at him. “I’ve mastered Life Energy Manipulation, Animation, Shadow Manipulation, Shadow Traveling, Soul Summoning, Undead Manipulation, and Soul Collection. I’ve also become fluent in the Language of Death to be used for spells with my wand, and Undead Communications. What else is there for you to teach me?”

He chuckled. “Well, there is quite a bit. There is something called Soul Magic that I have yet to teach you. It’s all about controlling the magic of another. You can take their magic and make them like Muggles. You can give Muggles magic and make them wizards and witches. You can temporarily paralyze a person’s magic. You can also sense a person’s location by tracking their magic. Soul Magic is very handy. The person’s soul is their core. Their identity. It makes up their memories, their emotions, their fears and dreams and being. Their soul is their essence. If you have control of that, then you  _ know _ them. Inside their soul is their secret name. It makes up who they are. Once you master Soul Magic, you can know a person’s name. Once you know that name, they are under your control now and forevermore.”

Harry stared at him in utter shock. “Isn’t that too much power for any one person to have?!”

He laughed and smiled at her. “That right there is why I’m not afraid of teaching you. You will not abuse my gifts of knowledge.”

“Why are you teaching me? You’ve never answered.” She stared up at him and refused to take another step. Death smiled down at her. 

“Because you have taken my grey and black world and put color in it. That’s why.” He motioned to her to go inside her house. “Now, go along. I’m sure lunch is waiting for you to make it.” She made a face and then gave him a hug before rushing off. 

~one year later~

Harry saw the letter and opened it up right at the door. Reading it quickly, Harry’s lips curled into a grin. Stuffing it down her front, she moved back into the kitchen with the rest of the letters.

~that night~

Twirling her pencil, she stuck her tongue out in a smile and wrote out a response and then put the letter on the roof of her house for the owl to come and pick up. After she made sure everyone was asleep, Harry moved to the backyard. Death wasn’t with her at the moment. He was in a meeting with Hades, the King of the Underworld. Death- Thanatos was his original name- was only the Master of Souls. 

Because of their connection- Harry was a Mistress of Death after all- Harry could hear Death’s thoughts, and he could hear hers unless one of them temporarily cut the connection. It was almost like putting it on mute. His dry mental commentary during Hades’ speech made Harry hard-pressed not to giggle.

Looking around, she stepped up to the pavement and held out her wand. The Knight Bus appeared. She hopped on and handed her required amount of knuts. (Death had gotten her a nice supply of money, and she had it hidden in her backyard.) She got off and entered the inn. She tried to remember the sequence of how to touch the stones. When she was sure that she remembered it perfectly, she walked up to the wall and then stopped. 

There was a young boy standing in front of it and staring. 

“Excuse me.” She smiled and then tapped the stones. “First time?” He nodded. She grinned and motioned for him to follow her. “Come on.” She stepped through and looked around. “It’s my first time too, but I’ve heard about it through some friends. I’m Harriet Potter, by the way.”

He nodded to her. “Tom Riddle.” He looked around in surprise. “It’s a bit old fashion.”

“Wizards and witches don’t like change, because they don’t think they need to change. Unlike normal humans, Muggles, Magics don’t feel the need to improve since they think that they’ve got the best of it all, Magic. They’re morons if you ask me.” Harry huffed in amusement. “There’s always room for improvement. Always. Being satisfied with things as they are is nothing but idiocy and slothful complacency.” Harry snorted. Death had said that once, and she completely agreed. 

“You have a lot of big words.” He frowned at her. “I understood them, but I don’t think most people would.”

She shrugged. “I grew up reading books and spending time alone. You?”

“Same.” He gave her a look. “You an orphan?”

“Yeah. Live with Muggle relatives who don’t like me.” She made a face. “My family was murdered by the Dark Lord when I was one.” He blinked at her bored tone. Tom didn’t quite understand how she could be emotionless about it. She shrugged. “It was ten years ago. I don’t know them much. Come on, we’re blocking the way.” She grabbed his hand and pulled him along, following Death’s previous instructions about the layout of the small city. She had enough money for herself, but she didn’t know about the boy. “So, Riddle, do you have enough coin for all your school supplies?” Harry tilted her head at him and smiled brightly as she jumped to the side to avoid a particularly fat hag.

“Dumbledore said that I had an orphan fund. You?”

His eyes widened when she responded with, “I come from old money. Come on, I’ll take you to the bank. They must have a trust fund set up for you.” 

She walked over to Gringotts, mentally reviewing what Death described the building as. He had given her an actual map of the place and had her memorize it, along with a summary of what each store and kiosk sold and what the price range was. He wanted her fully prepared for her life as a witch. She appreciated that.

After she got Tom his money, they started with their shopping. Harry didn’t know all that much about the magical world. She only knew what Death deemed important. That was historical events that shaped the Wizarding World, politics, social structure, and magical fields. She didn’t know about pop culture or sports or anything like that.


	3. Shopping and Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom is told about the magical world through Harry's eyes, which really, is the best thing that could have happened to him. Not that he'll know it.

They got their potions ingredients, their robes, their books, and their wands. They had everything. Their wands were really interesting. Mr. Ollivander was intrigued that the two who got the brother wands came in at the same time and together and were in the same year. 

“Very interesting! Very interesting! You two are bound for great things! Great things indeed!” He smiled at Harry and Tom. 

Soon after the wands were bought, they had all their things. Harry got herself a snowy white owl. Tom found a snake familiar. Harry grinned at him. “I think it’s cool that you can talk to snakes. It must be frightfully handy!” 

Grinning back, Tom nodded. “It is. No one notices snakes and that means they can hear and see everything and tell me about it.” They continued to walk down the alley.

Harry looked at their things and sighed. She didn’t want to hassle with the Knight Bus. “Tom, can you keep a secret?” He blinked and nodded. She smiled and took his hand. “I can apparate. It’s a type of traveling magic.”

Frowning, Tom looked up and down the street before turning back to her. “Why should this be a secret?”

Harry sighed heavily and sadly. “Because Minister Fudge will give me problems if he thinks I’m too powerful.” 

Death had told her that too. The Minister was afraid of everything that was more powerful than him, which included a field mouse, according to Death. She had long since figured out that Death had a sarcastic and cynical point of view for humans and was rarely surprised or forced to change his opinion about them. She was a rare exception. Most humans- according to Death- were monsters dressed up in human skin with animalistic minds shoved inside. 

Tom made a face. “Really? That’s…idiotic.”

She laughed and took his hand. “You’re right. I have to admit. I don’t like thinking bad about people. It brings me down, but he is a bit of a fool, as are most humans. Anyways, apparating isn’t all that comfortable. It feels like you’re being squeezed through a toothpaste tube.” He blanched and then grabbed his things with a more secure hold and nodded. 

“Alright.”

She stepped forward and appeared right at his orphanage gate. He stared in awe. “How?!”

“I plucked the memory from your mind.” She flinched slightly at his look. “Sorry about breaching privacy! It’s called Legilimency. I can show you how to stop it from happening through Occlumency.” 

Her own lessons with Death had been painful. It was hard trying to keep out an all-powerful being who wasn’t actually human but was primordial. Her Occlumency and Legilimency lessons had taken her years to master. It had been by far her hardest field, but Death had been insistent that she protect the information he was sharing with her. 

Tom nodded quickly. “I’d like that, Potter.”

She grinned and then waved at him before vanishing again with a crack. Death had made sure she knew how to travel the proper magical way just in case she had to flee someplace and couldn’t use the Underworld to travel through.

Tom stared at where the girl had been in surprise. Shaking it off, he shouldered his way passed Mrs. Wool and into his room that he had all to himself because everyone was afraid of him. Today was the first time he had met a child who was more experienced and just as powerful as he was, and who wasn’t frightened of him. It was disconcerting.

~meanwhile~

Harry put all her things away in her special area of the Underworld that Death gave her. He had a small house on a hill. From the house, you could see the entirety of the Underworld, the fields of punishment, the lands of peace and reward, the judgment halls for the arriving souls, the pits for the demons and horrible souls, and everything else that made up the Underworld. Because of Harry being Death’s Apprentice, she was allowed to store her things in his house and summon them through a small rip in the fabric of realities. 

The fabric of realities was also called the veil, and it moved like an invisible curtain that allowed herself and Death and other powerful people to come and go through the worlds of the living and the dead. It was funny to Harry because whenever she put her hand through the veil to summon something, it looked like her arm was gone. She grinned as she slipped into the room that Death gave her. She stayed in her room often whenever she wanted to avoid Dudley and his Harry Hunting gang or escape her unreasonable amount of chores.

When all her things were put away, Harry fell on top of her bed and stared at the ivory and onyx ceiling. Everything was made of black and white in Death’s house. The furniture was made of bone. She stared at the sheets she was lying on. They had been of human skin, but Death had changed that to black satin, stating that humans should not lay on human remains; it was uncouth.

She moved down to the room that most humans would identify as the front room. The front door opened. Harry smiled at Grell. “Hello, are you here for Death?”

“Yep!” Grell winked at her and then looked around. “I’ll come back when he’s here.”

“I’ll tell him you came by.” Harry leaned against a wall and crossed her arms lightly with a smile on her face.

“Thanks!” The Reaper slipped out of the house again. Harry smiled, fell onto the sofa, and rolled onto her back. She liked Grell, but the Reaper had an almost unhealthy fascination about hair products and makeup  _ and  _ Death. Death had once confided in Harry that he often spent time in the world of the living just to avoid the amorous attentions of his subordinate. 

Jumping up, Harry slipped through the veil and back into her cupboard. She looked at her calendar and sighed. “Twenty-eight more days until September first.” She slumped onto her little bed and groaned. “Bloody brilliant.”

~twenty-seven days later~

Harry looked up at the full moon and closed her eyes in exultation. She always felt more alive when at the height of the full moon. 

Grinning, she jumped out of the cupboard and slipped out of the house. She ran to the backyard and to the forest behind the house. As she ran, the shadows swirled around her, pulling away from the trees and twisting and writhing around her bare feet. She laughed when the shadows playfully lifted her up causing her to literally run on air. They were nearly alive, reacting to her emotions and gaining energy from the Earth and Moon and Tides.

Harry felt the small threads and tendrils of pure, silky blackness curl around her body and hair lifting her up and spinning her slowly around in a circle. Laughing, Harry raced the shadows, twisting them around her outstretched arms and twining them around the air, shooting them into the sky like ribbons. 

When she deemed that she was enough away from the house and other humans, she screamed in joy and life and mirth. Tomorrow she would be taken away from this world by a train to another world full of magic and her own people. She would be taken from this life into another. She couldn’t wait.

“Harriet.”

Turning, Harry grinned at Death. “Hello you!” The shadows twined and slithered around her, forming a second skin, draping themselves over her like a beautiful, living dress. 

“Shouldn’t you be in bed?” He smirked and crossed his arms. “I don’t know much about living human beings, but I think they need to sleep in order to survive the day to day affairs they put themselves through.” He lifted an eyebrow.

Harry laughed and danced over to him, her eyes alight with joy and eagerness. “But tomorrow is the day! Don’t you understand?! I’m celebrating and enjoying the freedom I will have and lose at the same time.”

“Lose?” He frowned. 

She shrugged. “I can’t practice Death Magic so freely around people who know what to look for, but I will also be able to practice Magic freely too.”

He sighed and nodded. “I understand. I will have to look into that.” Harry pulled her feet up and levitated in place with the help of her shadows. She was sitting in a shadow swing, not touching the ground. Death chuckled.

“Shadow Manipulation is your favorite, isn’t it?”

She laughed and shook her head. “No, I think Soul Summoning is my favorite. I get to speak to my parents!” She blinked rapidly and yawned softly. The shadows acted on their own and covered her body like bedsheets, elongating the swing so she could fully recline. She floated there on a bed of darkness, like a dark fairy queen. Death shook his head and plucked her from the air, cradling her small body to his chest. The shadows scattered, dispelled by him.

“Little Harriet. What will happen if a human came upon a child floating on a bed of shadows?”

She hummed into his chest sleepily. Tsking in amusement, Death carried her back to her home and into her cupboard. “Sleep well, Little Harriet. I will follow you to your school and be with you there.” He kissed her forehead and slipped away.


	4. First Day of School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter Ron Weasley, and Tom finds out more about this Harriet Potter

~September 1~

Harry grinned in excitement as she looked around King’s Cross Station. Death made an affronted noise when a human walked right through him. Harry snickered and murmured under her breath, “Can’t be cross when you can’t be seen.”

“Humph.” He looked around and then pointed to the median between nine and ten. “Right there. Go straight through without stopping. Don’t doubt, and it’ll work. Also, might want to help your orphan friend. He looks a little lost.” Death snorted. “Though I can’t really tell. All humans look lost to me. Like sheep and just as stupid.”

Tsking at her companion’s comments, Harry turned quickly and grinned. “Riddle!” He jerked and looked relieved as he moved over to her. “It’s the median. They hide it so Muggles can’t accidentally get through. Just rush through and don’t doubt yourself. See that redheaded boy? Do as he did.” Tom nodded and waited for his turn before running at the brick wall. He vanished. Harry followed him. 

Death slipped through easily. He huffed. “I have never understood why people insist on rushing to and fro. They look like ants and might as well be insects for all their self made importance.” Harry kept her grin off her face as she took everything in. Death had told her about the Hogwarts Express, but hearing about it and seeing it were two different things. 

They climbed onto the train and sat in front of the redheaded boy they had seen go through first. Death called him a Weasley. Speaking up quickly, Harry gestured to herself. “I’m Harriet. This is Tom.”

“I’m Ron. Ron Weasley.” He stared at the mark on her wrist. “Blimey is that-”

Harry pulled down her sleeve and swallowed a bit. “Yes, but I’d rather not talk about the night my parents were murdered if you please. I don’t remember anything at all.”

He blushed and nodded. “Right. Sorry. Sorry. It’s an honor to meet you, Potter.”

Harry smiled at him. “Call me Harry.” She looked at Tom with a grin. “You can too, Riddle.”

“Then call me Tom.” He looked at her in confusion. “What’s up with your tattoo?”

“Oh. It's not a tattoo. It's a scar, a branding of sorts. The Dark Lord tried to kill me, and I didn’t die. I survived with only this, his Mark. He was caught in the magical rebound of the backfired spell and was destroyed. At least, that’s what everyone says.” She shrugged.

Tom lifted a brow. “You don’t think so?”

“No. I think he’s still alive.”

Ron gaped. “You think Grindelwald’s still alive?! Bloody hell!”

Harry smiled at him. “Yes, I do. It only makes sense. If I survived, then so could he, plus the Ministry never found a body.” She shrugged slowly. “It only makes sense.”

Tom nodded with a frown. He resolved to look into this further. He hated being ignorant of something everyone knew about. Plus- Tom listened to the whispers going on about Harriet Potter being on the train- it looked as though his companion was rather famous. He watched her pull on gloves that covered her wrist.  _ And she doesn’t like it. _ He smirked slightly and started reading his new potions book.

The door opened. A boy was looking for his toad. There was a girl with him, a Hermione Granger. Tom instantly knew he would be having trouble with this one. She wanted to be great and noticed, just like him. She had something to prove and a means to get that done.

Harry, Tom noticed with great irritation, was completely at ease with everyone, including the Malfoy git who couldn’t have known the difference between a wand and a cauldron. She seemed like she knew a secret no one else did, and she was completely happy with keeping it a secret. Her eyes were never bored or glazed over. She was looking constantly around her, constantly aware of everything. She seemed incredibly comfortable in her own skin. Tom was envious and made a mental point to become just as comfortable as she was. Power was everything, and he would gain more power too.

Giving the blond boy a bright smile, Harry shook his hand lightly. “I don’t know about you, Draco, but I’d like to be friends with everyone. The more the merrier, and the more people you know, the more connections you have. Never can tell when a person you deemed useless actually proves useful.” Her green eyes were dancing with mirth.

Draco frowned in thought. “I suppose, but there are some,” he shot Tom and Ron a disparaging look, “who you shouldn’t even bother with. Keep that in mind, won’t you?” He smirked and walked off. Harry shrugged at Ron. 

“It’s interesting how some purebloods are completely different from other purebloods. You and he apparently have the same blood status, but you two couldn’t be more different. It’s fascinating really.” She offered Tom a flavored bean. He accepted. It was cherry. He frowned when he noticed that Harry never chose the bad ones. Not once.  _ Weird. _

Harry looked around the compartment and then out the window. She had already read her books and asked Death a plethora of questions. He had practically taught her the courses already. Well, that was an exaggeration. 

_ Wish I could travel through the shadows.  _ She sighed and pulled open a book about Greek Monsters and Mythical Beasts. She reached for another bean, but Death slapped her hand. 

“Not that one. That’s chili peppers.” She moved immediately to the one he deemed to be toffee.

Tom was reading about potions. Ron was looking through all the chocolate frogs and glowering at his rat. Harry put her book aside and started asking Ron questions about Quidditch and pop culture. He was a well of information. Tom listened intently too. 

Death huffed, deemed the conversation boring, and vanished.

~the sorting~

Harry watched from the Gryffindor table as Tom lifted the hat and then set it on his head. A split second later it screamed out “SLYTHERIN!”

She looked at him with amusement as he pulled the hat off his head, gave it a look and then went to the table. She watched as everyone else was sorted. 

Ron was in Gryffindor. So was Hermione Granger, and Neville Longbottom. She looked at Longbottom with interest. Keeping her voice low under the chatter of conversation, Harry looked across the table at where Death was standing. “So you’re saying that Neville could have been me?” She hated thinking her conversations with him. It was uncomfortable.

“Yes, but he wouldn’t have met me. I wouldn’t have been interested in him.”

“Why not?” Harry looked around and noted that no one was looking at her for once. That was a relief. 

Death chuckled. “Because he isn’t you.” She made a small face at that and then continued with her feast. 

“Sap.”

He laughed. “Dear Harriet, I do think that you are the only person who has ever called me that.” She grinned behind her napkin.

~one week into class~

Harry stared at the ceiling of her bedroom. She was sharing a room with Hermione Granger, Lavender Brown, and Parvati Patil. They weren’t in at the moment. 

She continued staring and thinking about what she had learned so far. Most of it was just basics that Death had already informed her of. However, the teachers themselves were what confused her and concerned her.

Professor McGonagall was normal. Harry liked her. Professor Flitwick was amusing and intelligent. Harry liked him. Professor Binns was utterly boring. Harry could only tolerate him. Professor Sprout was fun, and Harry adored her.

Professor Snape was filled with bitterness, anger, guilt, and rage. But what confused her was that none of it was specifically directed at her, but what she represented. She had scanned his soul and realized that he hated her father. Because of her complete control in Soul Magic, no matter how strong of an occlumens Professor Snape was, she would always be able to cut through his walls without him knowing because she could read his soul. 

The soul contained his emotions, his magical signature, his memories, and his name. Until a person learned to guard his soul, Harry could read them easily. But Soul Magic was exceedingly rare to master and even rarer to know about. Harry suspected she was the only person who had mastered Soul Magic in the country.

Apparently, her father had tormented her professor. Snape hated her father and therefore hated Harry, but cared for her mother- since they had been close friends- and therefore wanted to keep Harry safe. He was constantly at war with himself because of this and so took it out on Harry, much to Harry’s displeasure.

Another professor that confused and concerned Harry was Professor Quirrell. Death had taken one look at him and told her to stay away from the man. He was a danger. He was also slowly dying. His life force, life energy, was being sapped slowly, and the professor wasn’t stopping it like most wizards and witches could or would.

“Whoever is taking his life force, Quirrell is allowing it to happen. That means he is a fanatic and a fool and not to be trusted.” Death looked down at Harry as he formed in her room. Harry sighed.

“I don’t suppose you care that I could have been naked?”

“I’m not human, and I’ve seen many,  _ many _ nude people in my day, Harriet.” He gave her a completely unimpressed look. Harry snorted and shook her head. 

“Fine. Fine. And yes, I’ll avoid him, as much as I’m able.”

He nodded, satisfied. “Good.”

Harry sighed. “Now, I just have to figure out how to befriend Snape. I can’t get through school with a teacher hating my guts.”

Snorting, Death sat down. “Just show him that you aren’t your father. You aren’t a bully.”

“How!?” Harry whined this. She admitted to herself that she was whining. 

Giving her a perturbed look, Death sighed. “By exerting self-control and showing kindness. Do not bully, mock, scorn, or ridicule. Humility, integrity, and all the things that you know your mother exhibited. He will slowly and probably against his will, realize that he was wrong about you.”

He shrugged. “ _ Or _ you could confront him, make a deal with him about proving him wrong, and then win that deal.” Harry turned over onto her stomach and mused quietly. Death stood up. “Your roommates are coming soon. Have a good day, Harriet.” He smiled and vanished.

Looking at the door, Harry watched it open. Hermione blinked and shook her head. “I don’t know how you always know when someone’s coming, Harry. It’s creepy.”

Harry smirked and got up off her bed and stretched. “So sorry.” She moved to the bathroom and showered. 


	5. Snape and Snakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry faced off the Snake House, and Draco notices something.

Harry looked over at the Slytherin table and frowned. “Ron, it would be acceptable to go to their table, correct? I won’t be tarred and feathered?”

“By the snakes maybe, but not by us.” He gave her a look. “Why?”

Standing up, Harry looked angry. “Because I have something to say to that pit of vipers.” She marched over and plopped down right beside Tom. “Hullo!” Her grin was bright. “How’s tricks?”

He stared at her in shock. Draco cleared his throat, “Harriet, what are you doing at our table?” Harry was very much aware of all the students staring at her. 

“Maybe she wants to become a Slytherin!”

Harry hid the flinch that wanted to show. She had argued with the hat about being a Slytherin. She hadn’t wanted to be one, not because of anyone inside, but because she didn’t want to disappoint her parents. Gryffindor was her last connection to them, and she wanted to experience all the adventures her father went through, possibly even make a new group of Marauders, this time mixing up the houses too. She wanted Tom to be with her. Something told her that Tom was going to be a very powerful and important wizard, and she wanted him close by her side, whether to keep an eye on him or to be his ally.

“No, I wouldn’t want that.” Harry smiled at them and then stole Tom’s grapes. “I just wanted to sit with the most powerful wizard in our year.” She grinned at Tom. “Certainly dwarfs all of you others.”

A pug faced girl blinked. “But he’s a mudblood!”

The grapes in Harry’s hand burst. She cleaned up after herself and then gave the girl a look. “Who are you?”

“Pansy Parkinson.” She sneered at Harry. “And if you befriend him, then you’re a blood traitor!”

“Do I look like I care about titles?” Harry lounged on the bench and grinned lazily at the girl. “I’m the Girl Who Lived, but I hate fame. I’m the Champion of Light but I’m going to become a Grey Witch. I’m a Gryffindor, but I’m befriending a snake.” She winked at Tom and then looked at Pansy. “Also, my mother was a mudblood, and she was more powerful than you, a Pureblood. Tom is one of the most powerful wizards I’ve ever seen, and yet you call him a Mudblood. Hermione Granger has  _ never yet _ gotten a spell wrong in class, but she’s apparently got dirty blood too. Forgive me, but I think you’re running out of evidence for your side. So do us all a favor, drop your faulty opinions and become true Slytherins.”

Pansy snarled. “And what would that be, Lion?”

Harry gave her a lazy grin. “Cunning. Because right now you’re just plain stupid. You’re alienating the one boy who will become your leader.” Tom blinked at her in shock. Death had told her that he was of the Gaunt Line and was the Heir of Slytherin. Harry didn’t have to even think it through. She knew he would attain his birthright and gain control of the Slytherin House. It only made sense after all.

“How  _ dare _ you come over here, to  _ our _ territory, and talk like this?! Get out!”

Harry leaned closer to her and laughed lightly. “Just offering you a bit of friendly advice. Befriend Tom Riddle. Mudblood or not, he’s one hell of a wizard and if you don’t make an ally of him now, you’ll be left behind in the dust.” She winked at a thoughtful Draco and then hopped off her bench. 

When she turned away, she sensed something and jumped to the side. Death spoke up calmly. “She tried to hex you when you’re back was turned.”

Harry stared at the girl, aware that the teachers were coming her way. “Well, that just escalated.” Draco was shaking his head in disappointment. Tom was watching the chaos in bemusement. 

When the teachers came, Pansy started giving off this completely erroneous report of what happened. Tom opened his mouth, but Harry caught his attention and shook her head. She wanted detention with Snape. That meant she could talk it out with him. 

Snape was smiling when he gave her a detention for this Friday. Harry smiled back at him. “Alright, Professor.” He faltered, everyone did, when she simply smiled at Pansy and the others and walked away.

The Slytherins were already starting to call her Harriet the Hatter because they thought she was as mad as one. Harry kept her annoyance off her face and stayed perfectly neutral as she went through her school day. When Friday finally did come around, Harry climbed down the stairs and was instantly waylaid by Tom. 

“I know insanity isn’t catching, but should you be here?” She grinned at him. 

Shaking his head, Tom sighed. “Why did you back me up like that? Why did you not stop Pansy from lying?”

“Because the hat wanted me in Slytherin rather badly. I’m a snake among the lions, Tom.” He gaped at her. Harry smiled. “You need to understand the meaning of cunning in order to survive the Snake House. It comes to you naturally. I’m sure you’ve noticed.”

“How do you know so much?!” He stopped walking and stared at her. 

Harry frowned at him. “I thought you knew?” She gave him a sly, impish smile. “I’m the Girl Who Lived.” With a wink, she slipped into the classroom that held Professor Snape’s office.

Tom stared at the closed door and felt his intrigue double. “Bloody hell. A person can have an hour long conversation with her and still not get anything out of her!”

Meanwhile, Harry stared up at Snape and then at the icky cauldrons. “Alright.” She got to work and then paused. “Professor, why do you hate me so much?”

“Because of your arrogance and pathetic mind. It disgusts me.” He didn’t even look up at her.

“Not because my father tormented you, and you feel that tormenting his daughter is somehow justified?” Harry looked at him and allowed a spark of anger to cut through her usual facade of pleasantness. “My mother was Lily Evans Potter. I am her daughter too. You knew that Pansy said nothing but lies that morning. Do you honestly feel perfectly fine with hurting the daughter of your best friend?”

“ENOUGH!” He glared at her and stood up. “Clean. That. Cauldron.”

She stared at him. “Are you so desperate to avoid your fear of the future, that you will continue living in the past that will drown you in guilt and sorrow and self-loathing?” He stormed up to her. Harry stood up. Her green eyes were lit up with an old look. “Are you going to hit me?”

Snape faltered and stared at her. “What?”

“I asked if you were going to hit me. It wouldn’t be the first time I was struck.” She made sure her voice was carefully neutral. 

“What are you talking about? Who’s hit you?!” His dark eyes grew narrow.

“Uncle Vernon and my cousin Dudley. Are you?”

“No! No, I won’t.” He stepped back slightly, at a loss of how to deal with this strange child. “You…are nothing like your mother or father.”

“I grew up in Petunia’s house. Did you perhaps expect a girl with a silver spoon? Do you want to know why I was arguing with Pansy?” Harry didn’t wait for Snape to speak. “She was mocking Mudbloods.” Her eyes cut towards his own. “You know that name. It’s the same one people called my mother. Lily Evans, Mudblood. Dirty blood, no good, useless, Magic Thief. What else did they call her? Oh yes, whore, filth, bitch, cun-”

“SILENCE!” Snape was staring at her in complete shock. “What sort of creature are you?! You  _ willingly _ and  _ willfully  _ insult your own mother?!” He didn’t know what to do with her.

Harry stared at him. “Well, I can tell you who I’m not.” She dropped her scrubber and stepped closer to him. “I am not James Potter.” She dried her hands and put the towel to the side. “I am not Lily Evans.” Harry smiled at him and snapped her wand in a fast motion, making all the cauldrons sparkle with a single, muttered spell that Death had taught her. “I am Harriet Lilith Potter. And seeing as how I didn’t need to be in a detention in the first place, I will go. Have a good night, Professor.” She walked out of the office and left the man to his own devices.

Death walked by her side. “Are you happy?”

“Yes, actually. I’m very satisfied.” She smiled quietly.


	6. Foolish Friend and Fluffy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Friends, trolls, and three headed dogs, oh my!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo, I am going to start merging chapters together, so instead of several short chapters daily, you guys will be getting a medium sized chapter daily. Because of this, the number of chapters will lessen in the summary section above. Don't freak out. You'll be getting the same amount of words. ; D  
Ink...

~Monday~

Harry looked over at her new friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Tom wasn’t in her Charms class, but that was okay. She would see him during the Flying class later today just before lunch.

Watching Hermione float her feather to the top, Harry frowned and look at her own. Opening the link between herself and Death, Harry mentally telegraphed her thoughts.  _ ‘Is it all about intent? Like the shadows and other spells you taught me?’ _

_ ‘The words do matter. They help in channeling the intent and concentration, but silent spells work through intent, so yes, the intent is the most important. The wand motion, the pronunciation, it all aids in the channeling and concentration of the caster. If you’ve got that down, then it doesn’t matter what you do with your tongue or wand.’ _

Nodding slowly, Harry decided to forgo the speaking of the spell and just head straight for the hardest part. She was never one to shy from hard work. Death pushed her until she instinctively pushed herself. Biting her lip, Harry mentally urged the feather to fly by just imagining the feather in the air, hanging there through invisible tendrils of her magic. After a few tense moments, it did. She laughed in delight as she mentally coaxed it to fly over to Hermione’s.

Flitwick faltered for a moment and then when he realized that it wasn’t accidental magic but purposeful, stared at her in stunned silence as he watched a first year do silent and wandless magic. “Miss Potter, please come outside for a moment.” He smiled to let the class know she wasn’t in trouble. 

Still, the young girl looked a bit worried as she followed the short man out into the hall. “Professor?”

“May I ask how you managed a silent spell?”

Harry looked at him and then frowned. “Is it against the rules? I didn’t mean to break anything!”

“No, no, my dear. You aren’t in trouble. I simply wanted to know how you managed it.” He chuckled and patted her arm encouragingly.

Taking a bracing breath, Harry explained, “I realized that it’s all about intent. I’ve seen other professors not speak or even use their wands sometimes. So I wondered why I wouldn’t be able to.” She pursed her lips in thought. “I don’t know why we’re being taught how to speak it if we can simply think it and will it to happen instead.”

Flitwick smiled patiently. “Because, my dear, most people need stepping stones to cross a river instead of jumping straight across like you did.”

Nodding slowly, Harry looked at her professor with unease. “Is it wrong? Should I learn the spells too?”

“You aren’t thinking the spells?”

“Uh uh. I just willed it to happen.” Harry was slightly confused with the man’s shocked stare. She did that with the shadows she controlled and the life energy and the soul reading. If she wanted to do something, then she only needed to think about it happening and it occurred. “Can others not do that?”

“Ah, no, Miss Potter. Not really, but not for the lack of ability. It simply isn’t necessary so, many people don’t try.” He smiled at her encouragingly. “I think it’s wise if you memorized the spells too, just in case you need to fall back on them.”

Harry nodded somberly. “Alright, Professor. May I go back in now?”

“Yes. Yes, of course.” He smiled at her and escorted her back into the room. Harry slid back into her seat next to Seamus Finnigan just in time for him to blow up his feather. Harry sighed and asked for another one. 

It wasn’t until they were heading out to the fields that Harry heard Ron’s rant about Hermione. She was surprised to see how little the boy liked her other friend. Harry bit her lip in concern. 

_ ‘Death, what do I do? I didn’t realize having friends would be so difficult.’ _

_ ‘Well, dump this one. It’s best to have talented friends. Weasley’s got nothing except a Complainer’s Heart. He’s a bit useless.’ _

‘ _ He is not! He’s just…having problems with his identity.’ _

_ ‘Which is another way of saying he’s arrogant and cocksure and a whiner.’ _ Death sounded irritated. Harry decided that it would be prudent to leave the being alone for the rest of the day.

She found out another thing, this time during flying. Pansy Parkinson had it out for her. 

Not wanting to disappoint, Harry jumped onto her broom and flew off to retrieve the remembrall. “Give it over, Pansy.” The girl sneered at her. 

“I’m going to show you what a fake you are, Potter! You’re nobody! You don’t deserve all this recognition!”

Harry regarded the girl and then suddenly dropped her broom and shot under her so fast that the other girl didn’t have a chance to even blink. Harry pulled up behind her and grabbed the remembrall. That done, she landed just before Hooch came back. The Slytherins, Tom included, were staring at her in silent shock. The Gryffindors were cheering. Harry smiled at them all pleasantly and completely ignored Pansy’s rage filled face. Hooch gave her a suspicious look but left it at that.

~one month later~

Harry looked at the potion she was making with Tom. He was much better at it than she was. Death had held no interest in potions, and so she had no preparation for it, but she had read the books. She knew the basics. Tom just had this…knack for it. This instinct of knowing what to do to make it come out perfectly. 

“Explain your reasoning to this poor, idiotic lion?” Harry quirked a smile at him. Tom snorted. 

“You know what each ingredient does. Hydra skin creates a toughness for the consumer’s skin, and dragon scales create an imperviousness to fire. If you mixed them, then you should get an impenetrable body.” He shrugged. “For an hour.”

“Okay, so it’s like mixing milk and chocolate and getting chocolate milk. You have to go back to the ingredients. I get it. Wish he was teaching this like a cooking class.” Harry glanced at Snape. It seemed that the man had taken her suggestion to heart. He was completely ignoring her. No longer asking her any questions, or mocking her, or even looking her way. He was acting like she wasn’t even in his class. And considering how he was treating her before, Harry was completely fine with it. 

“What happened between you two?” Tom muttered as he dropped the fur of a bat into their cauldron. 

“I confronted him. He had no leg to stand on, so he retreated. I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop. But that isn’t as interesting as what’s  _ going _ to happen with me and Miss Parkinson.” Harry smiled cheerfully at the girl who glowered back. 

“Right. I overheard her talking to her friends about how she was going to fix you pretty. Demand from you a duel and then report Filch on you.” Tom looked at her with a quiet smile. “But she didn’t get that far in her planning.”

“I won’t even ask, Tom.” Harry chuckled and pulled a sample from their potion. “Sometimes, I think it’s best if I leave Snake politics to the snakes and stay out of it. Thanks for the interception though.” She winked at him and went up to the desk. Tom smirked.

Harry came back just in time to see Hermione blow up at Ron about putting something into their cauldron without consulting her first. Harry glanced at Tom and winced when Ron replied with a particularly nasty word. After class, Ron was ranting to her and Tom. “She’s so bossy! I mean come on! She acts like she knows everything. Nobody likes it! Haven’t you noticed how everyone avoids her like dragon pox?! Nobody likes her!”

Harry stumbled as someone pushed passed her. Tom steadied her, and they both looked over and realized it was Hermione. “I think she heard you, Ron.” Harry gave him a worried look.

Looking uncomfortable a moment and then shrugging, Ron seethed out, “Well, so what?! She’s gotta have noticed that she doesn’t have any friends.”

“Ron, you need to go and apologize.” Giving her friend a look, Harry bit her lip.

“You’re my friend, not my mother!” He stomped off. Harry sighed and rubbed her forehead. 

“Spare me from the idiocies of children.” Tom laughed quietly.

“You can imagine Muggle children.”

“How did you cope?”

“By giving it right back to them. They torment me? I torment them with the added spice of magic.” He shrugged. “Simple really. Equivalent Exchange.”

Harry frowned at him. “Isn’t that the law of Alchemy?”

He nodded. “Reading about it in the library. It’s fascinating.” Harry’s eyes gleamed. 

“Care to tell?”

Tom gave her a shrewd look. “Only if you teach me that apparating thing you can do.”

Biting her lip, she thought about it and then nodded. “Alright. Deal.” He grinned and started telling her everything about Alchemy.

As the day progressed, Harry noticed that Hermione didn’t show. She frowned and looked for her at lunch but couldn’t find her. Harry hadn’t seen Hermione even later at the Halloween feast. 

_ ‘Death, where is she?’ _

_ ‘In the girl’s bathroom on the upper floor.’ _ He sounded bored.  _ ‘But someone’s released a troll who’s walking around the castle now. I’m going to have to collect a few souls if he isn’t stopped soon.’ _

Harry jerked upright and then looked at where Quirrell rushed in. “TROLL! TROLL IN THE DUNGEONS!” He took a breath. “Thought you’d like to know.” Harry frowned as the man fainted dead away. 

_ ‘Is he dead?’ _

_ ‘No. More’s the pity.’ _

Harry snickered and then suddenly frowned in thought. Hermione. Standing up, Harry grabbed Ron and dragged him off to the side to avoid being roped into the mass exodus. “Hermione is in the girl’s bathroom and doesn’t know about the troll, Ron. Come on! We’ve gotta get her!” Ron grumbled for show, but he did look worried about the girl.

When they got to the bathroom, Harry stared in growing horror as the troll lumbered in. “Shit!” They rushed in after it when they heard the scream. Harry knew that she could easily reduce the troll to a pile of bones, but she wasn’t so good with memory manipulation yet and couldn’t risk exposure by her two friends, so she had to have Ron distract it, while she coaxed Hermione to stand. 

However, the girl was in such a state that she was completely useless for walking. Turning, Harry noticed that Ron’s idea for distraction was slightly more hands on. Harry shouted at him to get off. He did, dragging his wand out with him. Harry willed her shadows to wrap around the troll and immobilized him. Hopefully, no one would notice. Ron, meanwhile, had taken advantage of the troll’s stillness and had shouted the spell Hermione taught him. Wingardium Leviosa. The club came up and then came down. 

BAM!

The troll was out for the count. Harry exhaled in relief and hauled Hermione up, but their troubles weren’t over. The teachers were coming. 

However, before the girl could think up a good lie, Hermione rescued them in turn. “I wanted to see if I could beat the troll. I went out looking for it, Professor. Harry and Ron came and rescued me when I realized that…I overestimated myself.” Her eyes were downcast. “I’m really sorry.”

As they all walked back together, Harry purposefully walked behind so Ron and Hermione would walk together. She wanted them to be friends.

As the two chattered, Harry smiled. ‘ _ Looks like they’ll be friends after all.’ _

_ ‘Terrific.’ _ Death’s dry voice made Harry snicker slightly, but her friends didn’t notice. 

~later that night~

Harry snuck out and slipped into the corridors and halls and then into the library, using her shadows as a means to hide herself from other eyes. She wanted to know more about Alchemy. Tom had told her as much as he knew at the moment, but she wanted to know more. She slipped into the Restricted Section and pulled out the book he had described. And there at the library table, she sat, asking Death all sorts of questions while she read about Understanding, Deconstructing, and Reconstructing matter.

It was  _ fascinating _ .

However, as the night wore on, Harry was interrupted when Hermione came in. “Harry! What in the world are you doing?!” She and Ron were together. Harry looked up and frowned.

“Reading.”

“What, you couldn’t do that during normal hours?!” Ron looked around and shivered. “What’s got you interested in the Restricted Section?”

“To be completely blunt, I want to collect this boy’s soul. He’s annoying me.” Death snorted. Harry ignored him and answered Ron’s question. 

“Alchemy. I’m curious about it.”

Hermione blinked. “Alchemy? I’ve never heard of it before.”

“Well, that’s because it’s still a relatively new and uncharted field. Headmaster Dumbledore and a man named Nicolas Flamel worked on it together.” Hermione looked torn between learning something new and not breaking the rules. Learning won out.

Ron was the only one who pulled them away before Filch could make his rounds in the library. Unfortunately, Hermione sneezed, and Filch heard it. 

They had to make a run for it. 

Which then led on a merry chase throughout the entirety of the castle. 

Hermione quickly unlocked a door and they rushed in, only to find themselves face to face with a three headed dog. Harry knew instantly that this monster was a creature of Death’s. She looked into the center one’s eyes and crooned to it. Her shadows caressed it. Hermione and Ron took its moment’s hesitation and dragged Harry out and away. Ron slammed the door closed. 

“You know, I think that thing was angrier with us taking Harry away than with us entering his territory.” Ron panted as he slumped against the thankfully closed and locked door.

Hermione stared at her. “First the shadows around that troll, and now this. Harry, what’s going on?” Harry stared at them, and then sighed. 

“I wanted to tell you, and I think I can trust you. Come on. I have a lot to tell.” She took their hands and wrapped them up in shadows and took them to the Astronomy Tower. 

Ron gaped. Hermione was shivering. “That was…horrible.”

“Sorry, regular mortals don’t like trips through the Underworld. It’s easy for me though, since I’m Death’s apprentice and his mistress.”

Both her friends stared at her steadily for ten seconds before exploding with questions. Harry shushed them and looked around. No one was around. Death would warn her. She began her story. “I was one when he and I first met. By he, I mean Death.” It took her hours. When she was done, the sun was slowly coming up and her friends were in shock. 

Interestingly enough, Hermione’s first question was, “Does Tom know?”

“No. I haven’t told him yet. Our relationship is a…partnership at the moment. I honestly don’t think Tom would know what to do with friends if he was given them. He’s not very good at genuine interpersonal relations.” Harry smirked and then shook her head. “But that’s neither here nor there. What I want to know is why that Cerberus is even at school in the first place.”

Hermione answered promptly. “Probably to guard that trap door at his feet.”

“There was a trap door?” Both she and Ron blinked at her stupidly.

_ ‘Yes, there was. It seems that you have grown slow in your time at this school. I’ll have to double your side homework. You’re going to have to learn Observation next. And practice more in memory spells and manipulation.’ _

_ ‘Oh forgive me, Death, but I was a little busy trying to keep it from eating my friends! And I  _ have _ been practicing memory spells! I'm just not good at them yet!’  _ Harry huffed. “Okay, fine. But what’s inside?”

“Probably the same thing that was in that Gringotts’ bank vault.” It was Ron who answered this time. Harry blinked at him and groaned. 

“Tell us, please.” He grinned.

“When my family and I were at Diagon, we ran into Hagrid. He said that he had just come from Gringotts on official Hogwarts business. Said that Dumbledore trusted him only for the task. He looked quite proud of himself. Well, the twins finagled more information out of him. Seems like that little parcel in his coat was the only thing in the vault in the first place. The very next thing, Gringotts is robbed, well, an attempt was made, but nothing was stolen because the vault in question had already been emptied.” Ron grinned.

Hermione grinned too. “So whatever Hagrid took out and brought back here the mysterious thief wanted! It’s safer in Hogwarts, so Dumbledore brings it here and sets a Cerberus on it.”

Musing silently, Harry smiled slowly. “And do you know who would provide such a dog?” They looked at each other and then grinned slowly.

“Hagrid.” 

Ron smirked. “Well, now we know what we’re going to be up to this weekend.” They chuckled.


	7. Backstories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry finds out the truth about her ancestor, Ignotus Peverell, and also some of what happened to Grindelwald.

It was winter by the time Harry and her two friends had a chance to corner Hagrid. Jumping right in, Harry grinned at the huge man. “What’s the name of the dog you lent to Dumbledore, Hagrid? The one on the third floor.”

“Oh, he’s named Fluffy-” He faltered and stared at the three impish children. “How the devil did ye know about him?!”

“We saw him, but that’s not quite as important as what he’s doing there.” Harry smiled and cocked her head. “Well? What’s he guarding?”

“Yeh stay out of this, Harry. Yeh hear me? It’s between myself, Professor Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel.” He closed his eyes. “I shouldn’t have told yeh that.”

“Nope.” Ron grinned widely. “Probably shouldn’t have.” Harry looked at Hermione as they ran off, neatly avoiding Draco and his posse of snakes. They found themselves a nice niche and settled in to talk.

“It’s the Philosopher’s stone,” Hermione spoke up confidently. 

Harry nodded. “Ron said that the package was small. A stone is barely as big as Ron’s fist. But the stone is used for immortality and eternal youth and strength. Why would anyone be interested in-” Harry faltered when her friends stared at her with weird looks. “What?”

“Harry, that’s precisely why someone would want to steal it. To avoid Death.” Hermione spoke to her gently. 

Furrowing her brows, Harry shook her head. “But why would they want to avoid something that has to happen? Death is natural, avoiding it isn’t. Shouldn’t we stick with the natural flow of the world?”

Ron frowned. “What about you?”

“Death is allowed an apprentice. When I took up that title, I was no longer considered mortal or even human.” Harry waved that off, as if it didn't rock the worlds of her friends, and continued. “So, whoever is trying to steal this artifact is trying to live forever?”

“That sounds about right.”

_ ‘Death? You have an opinion. I can feel it. And since you’re already eavesdropping, you may as well share it.’ _

_ ‘I simply have an answer, not an opinion. It is Grindelwald. He’s alive. I never collected his soul. You know this. Therefore, he is alive and searching for a way back.’ _

_ ‘How did he survive the rebound? You’ve never told me!’ _

_ ‘I’ll tell you tonight, since I know you will need this information in order to survive.’ _

“Harry?”

She blinked and looked at Hermione. “Yes?”

“Were you just now talking to him?” Ron’s eyes grew huge when Harry nodded.

“Grindelwald’s alive. He’s most likely the thief. I don’t know how he survived, but he did, and he’s after the stone so he can live again completely.”

They looked at each other grimly. Hermione cleared her throat. “Well, I think it’s time for the Christmas feast. You two are staying?”

“Yep.” Harry grinned at Ron, who grinned right back. They didn’t care what Parkinson had to say about anything. They weren’t ashamed of staying at the school for winter hols. 

After the feast, Harry waved at Tom and then jogged over to him. “You’re staying, right?”

He gave her a look. “Obviously. Do you think I would willingly go back to that hell?”

Shrugging, Harry smirked. “Some people have different tastes.” He snorted and shook his head. 

“You’re peculiar.”

“And you’re tetchy. What’s happened?”

“Nothing, just Pansy being her irritating self.” He sent the girl in question a dark look. “I have some plans for her.”

“Something dark and twisted, I bet.” Harry smiled at him cheerfully. Tom blinked.

“You are disturbing, or just disturbed. I don’t know which yet.” Harry gave him a mock wounded look before stealing a hug and rushing off. Tom shook his head and then looked over at Draco. “Well Malfoy? You have something to say.”

Draco smiled at him. “My father prides himself on how he has the ability to note who has the most power. I have inherited that ability.” Noticing that no one else was in the corridor, Draco knelt and looked up at Tom. “I will help you gain control of Slytherin House, Tom Riddle.”

Tom smiled. “Good. Now get up.” He looked at the blond boy and gave him a lazy smile. “Tell me everything about Parkinson. Her family included. I want to know it all. And give me a list of people you have influence over.” The blond immediately did as told.

Walking slowly to the dungeons, Tom felt like laughing. Things were finally looking up in his life.

Finally.

~meanwhile~

Harry looked over the Great Hall and watched all the students stuff themselves with food. She mentally reviewed everything she knew about what was going on. 

_ A thief tries to steal the Philosopher’s Stone from Gringotts, but Hagrid, under Dumbledore’s orders, removes it just in time. That same thief might try for Hogwarts and that is why Fluffy is in place under the trap door. The Philosopher’s Stone is somewhere under the trap door. Death said that the thief is most likely Grindelwald, who isn’t dead and is looking for a way to get back to full strength. I still don’t know how I survived the Killing Curse or how he did either. Death said he would explain it to me tonight. He’d better. _

She looked at the professors and pursed her lips.  _ Professor Snape is quite keen on just ignoring me and tormenting my friends instead.  _ She gazed over at the Slytherin table.  _ Draco and Tom are getting closer together. Ah…Tom is working on gaining control of the Snake House. Good. I’ll need a few allies in the future. I’ll have to keep on Tom’s good side though. Hopefully, he won’t get too big for his britches. _ She turned and looked at the man named Albus Dumbledore. He was the Champion of the Light- like her. Her eyes narrowed.

_ ‘Death, what do you know of Dumbledore?’ _

_ ‘Quite a bit. Gellert Grindelwald was his best friend back in his youth. They were going to go hunting for three very valuable relics that I made a long time ago. I’ll tell you more about those tonight. It’s how Grindelwald survived. Also, Dumbledore has a brother, and had a sister.’ _

_ ‘Had?’ _

_ ‘Yes. She was killed when Grindelwald, Aberforth- that’s the younger brother- and Albus were having a duel. Aberforth attacked Grindelwald, and Ariana- that’s the sister- got in the way. No one knows quite who fired the killing spell, but the result was the same. Goodbye Ariana.’ _

Harry frowned into her pumpkin juice.  _ ‘Let me guess, Albus Dumbledore blames himself for it and so does his brother? Grindelwald got the law on his back because Albus covered his tracks?’ _

_ ‘Got it in one. The Ministry accused Grindelwald of Ariana’s murder and he fled to the Americas. After he was discovered there, he fled to mainland Europe. There, he stayed and started a rip roaring war that kept my entire force of Reapers busy for years, and then he was captured, escaped, captured again, and escaped again. After that, he visited you. He popped off your mother and father, and then tried to kill you. Tried being the keyword. He failed and vanished without a trace. Now he’s stirring again.’ _

_ ‘How did I live? Why did he come after me in the first place? And how did he survive?’ _

_ ‘Get out of the hall and go to your room. I’ll tell all.’ _

Harry mumbled her goodbyes and walked out quickly, not noticing how Tom was aware of her absence immediately and frowned.

Death formed when she closed and warded the door. “Okay, spill.” She stared at him and crossed her arms. He shook his head. 

“Too many people could still overhear. Come on.” He lifted the curtain of the veil and motioned her through. Harry huffed but walked into his house in the Underworld. After they had settled down, Death sighed and started speaking.  “When I was only seventy thousand years old, I was still new to the whole magic thing. I came across three brothers who used magic to avoid certain death. They had apparated across a huge chasm- nowadays people say they used magic to build a bridge to cross a river.” Death rolled his eyes and continued. “After I realized that they wouldn’t die then, I appeared and confronted them for evading me. They taunted me, and I knew I couldn’t let it go as I had planned. People will die eventually, so I don’t honestly care, but they had an arrogance and that really gets under my skin.”

Smirking, Death poured her some pomegranate juice. “I changed tact and congratulated them instead, insisting that I give them an award for cheating me. The idiots fell for it.” Harry gaped at him. Death nodded. “I know. They were fools. To think that Death would be happy that they cheated him. Anyways, the eldest- I have no recollection of his name- demanded an all powerful wand. So, I fashioned a wand from an Elder tree branch with a thestral hair as it’s core. The second eldest wanted a token that could raise the dead.” 

“But that’s impossible!”

“It is indeed, but the human didn’t know that. I took a pebble from the ground and carved a rune into it and imbued it with my power. The youngest was the smartest, and he is also the reason I took note of you in the first place.” Death grinned at Harry. She perked up. “He asked for a cloak that would make him invisible that not even I could see through. I grudgingly cut a bit of my own cloak for him to wear.” 

Standing up, Death poked at the white fire in the fireplace and sighed. “The eldest died first, I’m glad to say. I watched him boast and brag about his powerful wand. He christened it the Elder Wand. Well, when the man was asleep another wizard came upon him and slit his throat and took the wand for himself. I let him and took the idiot brother’s soul instead. He learned his lesson painfully.” 

Death turned and looked at Harry. “The second brother found out what you already wisely know. The dead stay dead. He brought back his lover and was overjoyed but quickly realized that she did not belong to the world of the living. She was miserable, and so was he. He went and hanged himself so he could join her in the land of the dead. I collected his soul next.”

“And the youngest?” Harry stared at him eagerly. “How did you outsmart him?”

“Now  _ his  _ name I do remember. Ignotus Peverell.” Death chuckled dryly and sat down again next to his apprentice. “I didn’t outsmart him.” Harry looked confused. 

“What? But-!”

“He outsmarted me.” Death laughed at her gobsmacked look. “I know! He wore the cloak always, and though I searched for him constantly, he evaded me for decades. He lived a full life with many children and grandchildren, and then, when  _ he _ was willing to leave the earth, he showed himself to me and allowed me to take him. My dear Harriet, he left on his own accord but also allowed nature to take its course. He fascinated me, and I refused to collect his soul until my curiosity was satisfied. I gave him an extra five years. During that time, we became as close to friends as I have ever been to a mortal. When he was insistent that I take him to the land of the dead, I did.” He shook his head. 

“But what has this got to do with me?” Harry arched an eyebrow at Death. Death smirked at her.

“Because you are his direct descendant, Harriet. When I realized that, I knew I had to get to know his last remaining heir. So, I trained you. I thought it only fitting that I honored his memory by training his heir. You have not disappointed me either. You are just as smart, cunning, ruthless, and wise as he was.”

Harry blushed and looked away. “Thank you.”

Sipping his own juice, Death sighed and shook his head. “However the story isn’t done. I found you, yes, but that was centuries in the future. Back to the past and throughout history, the relics that I made for the Peverell brothers continued to affect mankind. The Elder Wand especially. The Resurrection Stone and the Invisibility Cloak simply were passed down the family lines of the two brothers, ending with a family called the Gaunts and the Potter Family. The Elder Wand, however, could not be passed down. If it is given to someone, then the power is gone. Voided. It must be stolen. So,” Death shrugged, “the Elder Wand has the bloodiest and harshest history of them all.”

“Let me guess…” Harry gave him a bitter smile. “Whoever owns all three relics is a Master of Death. That’s why I was branded with Grindelwald’s mark, The Death Hallows. He is a Master of Death, and that’s why he didn’t die.”

Death laughed and nodded. “Very right. Gellert Grindelwald found and stole all three relics, however, at the time of his demise his wand was claimed by you when you destroyed him. The Elder Wand changed loyalties to the one who defeated him. The Resurrection Stone fell into your crib, and you actually swallowed it, Little One. The Invisibility Cloak was inherited by you the moment your father was killed. Therefore, you became a Master of Death yourself.”

Harry looked at him before shaking her head. “That doesn’t make sense. I would have been dead. I became the Master of Death  _ after _ the curse rebounded. What stopped me from dying  _ before _ ?”

Looking at her intently, Death smiled sadly. “You’re mother’s love. She begged Grindelwald to spare your life, a rather useless endeavor since he went to Godric’s Hollow for the sole reason to kill you. However, because she insisted on standing in the way, she took the first curse thrown for you. She sacrificed herself for you.” Getting up, Death stoked the fire more and stared into it. “The level of protection that she gave you is old, long-lasting, and extremely potent. The protection of Love can dispel anything, even the Killing Curse, as Grindelwald unluckily found out.”

Gazing at the stone floors, Harry shifted in her seat and thought it all through. “What happened to him?”

“He did not die. He was stripped of everything and was sent back to where he originated from. Germany.” Death started pacing quickly. “He stayed there while all the world thought it was safe again. I kept an eye on him because it would be foolish not to.”

“Just admit that you were curious and bored.” Harry knew Death didn’t really care about how many humans died. He only cared about the hassle of paperwork that came with collecting souls.

Giving her a perturbed look, Death sniffed slightly and continued on his account. Harry smirked. “He was completely well and healthy and alive; however, the curse’s rebound did more damage to him that he had originally supposed. If he had simply been killed in a normal way, he would have regained everything.” 

Death grinned at her. “But because the Killing Curse was rebounded by  _ Love _ , he lost his magic. He was one of the Muggles he despised so much. So, he was forced to lay low, watch the world go on and bide his time. He researched, experimented, and finally realized that the Philosopher’s Stone would be enough to kick start his magic. So, he recruited Quirrell to do his spying and keep an eye on Dumbledore, and to do his thieving for him.” 

“So what happens next?” Harry sipped her juice and looked at her teacher. Death smirked darkly. 

“Next, you learn how to fight with your shadows, next you learn how to use your Death Magic for what it was originally formed for.” He looked at her hard. “Killing.”

Inhaling slowly, Harry thought about it and then nodded. “Kill or be killed. I’d rather not let anyone die before their time if I can help it. Dying of old age for all my friends sounds like a very nice way to go, and I’ll help them aim for that.” Death snorted and nodded. 

“It will be hard. I will not go easy on you. I know you cannot die, but you can experience pain.”

Harry shrugged. “Pain ends eventually. I’ll be fine.” She stretched and then paused mid-stretch. “Wait, if Grindelwald can’t get killed, then how in the world can I stop him?”

“Only a Master of Death has the power level to pin down another Master of Death, and even if you can’t kill him, you can still bind his magic deep in his soul as I taught you.” Death raised an eyebrow. “I know many of my lessons are as dry as bones, but you can still listen.”

Flushing, Harry waved her arms erratically. “It’s not that. You taught me so much I lose track of what I know!”

He snorted and shook his head. “Very well. It’s time for you to return to the world of the living anyways. Your friends will be returning to their dorms now.”

Harry jumped up and groaned. “So, I’m the only one who can stop him? Is that why he hunted me down before?”

“Mostly. There was a prophecy.” Death looked completely bored. “In it, you were named his one true foe. Dumbledore would help you, but you would strike the killing blow. It also said- this was the part that Grindelwald didn’t know about- that in attacking you, he would mark you his equal. Which he did by oh so kindly giving you the Deathly Hallows.” He smirked when Harry laughed in delight.

“Bet he was kicking himself for that one.”

“He did indeed.” Death snorted and then opened the veil for Harry. She stepped through and sat on her bed. Death followed her. “He will attack you when he regains his magic. It’s still inside him, he just needs to kick start it like…like a car with jumper cables.”

Nodding, Harry stared at the underside of her bed canopy. “I’ll be ready for him.”

“Good. I expect nothing less from my apprentice and mistress.” He vanished just before the door opened.  Harry felt a little jarred with the fact that everyone in the living world had kept right on spinning into the future while she was learning about the past. 

“Hey, Hermione.”

“Harry?! Where did you go?! You missed Dumbledore’s parting speech!”

Harry frowned slightly as she thought of something.  _ ‘If I swallowed the stone, then where is it now and where is the wand?’ _

_ ‘The wand was taken from you by Dumbledore. The cloak is in his vaults for safekeeping. The ring was returned to the Gaunt family that Grindelwald took it from.’ _

_ ‘So even though I don’t have them anymore, I am still a Master?’ _

_ ‘Yes. Once the power is given, it cannot be taken away.’ _

_ ‘Got it. Thanks.’ _

She tuned back into what Hermione was saying.

“…and then Tom punched Ron right in the face-”

“What?!” Harry jumped up. “Slow down! Rewind! Tell me again.”

Hermione smirked. “Nothing happened. I knew you weren’t listening so I started making things up.”

Groaning, Harry gave her friend a glare before slumping back onto her bed. “I hate you.”

Snickering, Hermione sat down next to her. “But seriously, why weren’t you at the end of the feast?”

“Death had some things to tell me about. I had to go someplace where we could speak in private.”

Eyes widening, Hermione leaned forward. “And where was that?!”

“His house in the Underworld. I go there a lot when I want to be alone.” Harry grinned slightly. “It’s awesome.” She shrugged. “If you don’t mind listening to the screams of the damned souls each night. But it’s better than staying with the Dursleys.”

Hermione looked stunned. “Oh. Okay.”

Grinning, Harry gave her a fast side hug and went into the bathroom. “You all packed?”

“Yeah. I’ll miss you during hols.” Hermione followed her into the bathroom. “You think you could visit?”

“I’ll have to ask Dumbledore. He’s my magical guardian. I think he’s the guardian of all magical orphans. Tom’s under his guardianship too.” Harry noticed Hermione’s slightly dreamy look. “Um…Mione? Are you…you’re not in love with Tom are you?!”

“What?! No! No way! What made you think that?! Of course not! He’s a boy! Eww!” Hermione hurried away to get changed in her PJs. Their door opened, and Parvati and Lavender walked in. Harry gave her friend a weird look before turning back to brushing her teeth. 

~the next morning~

Harry joined Tom and Ron in the Great Hall and hugged Hermione goodbye. Tom spoke once Ron wandered off to get some breakfast. “Why are you friends with her?”

“Because she’s my roommate, and she’s smart. She’ll go places, of that I’m sure.” Harry grinned at him and then walked slowly back towards the main stairs. 

Tom sneered slightly. “She’s arrogant and a know-it-all.”

“Are you talking about yourself or her?” Harry lifted a dainty eyebrow and then laughed when he flipped her off. “Now, Tom, don’t be crude.” 

He snorted and stretched as they started climbing the stairs. “You going back to the tower?”

“No. I was actually heading towards the library. I want to know more about the Deathly Hallows.”

“Sorry, what?” Tom’s eyes glittered with an eagerness to learn. “What’s this?”

Harry recounted what she had learned from Death, without divulging the source or what happened that night. “That’s all I know. I want to find out where the wand is and the stone and the cloak. It’s fascinating.”

“So a Master of Death can’t die?” Tom looked at her intently. “Is that true?”

“Yes. There has only been one so far who’s become the Master of Death. Grindelwald. He’s not dead. They never found the body. He’s still out there somewhere. I was merely scarred by his master mark.” Lying came naturally to her. Harry climbed the last stairwell and then waved over at Ron who was hounding his brother, Percy, for something. He waved back.

“Harry, if Grindelwald is actually alive, then that means he’s going to be gunning for you.” Tom grabbed her arm gently and pulled her to look at him. His eyes were filled with worry, or as much worry as Tom could give. Harry was touched.

Smiling, she patted his cheek lightly. “It’s fine, Tom. It’ll be okay. The reason I’m looking for these relics is to become the Master of Death as well. Then Grindelwald and I will be on equal footing. I’ll have a fighting chance when he comes for me.” Tom nodded eagerly.

However, he asked her another question, whispering it as they entered the library. “Why did he hunt you down in the first place?”

“A prophecy. It said that I would be the one who would kill him. It also said that in attacking me he would be marking me as his equal. However, he didn’t know about that part. So, I’m his equal in power, just not experience. That part is up to me.”

“Well, then you’ve got this in the bag.” Tom sat down next to her and pulled out his holiday homework. 

“How do you mean?” Harry frowned at him. He snorted. 

“You are the most powerful witch I’ve seen yet. You’re also comfortable in your own skin. Always smiling. Kinda like Dumbledore, except you like me.” Tom smirked darkly.

Rolling her eyes, Harry shook her head and opened up a history book about wandlore. “Oh Tom.”

“Why did you leave so early at the feast last night?” Harry looked up and waved Ron over. He hurried up and groaned as he sat down. 

“Hey Snake. Hey Harry.” He looked around for Madam Pince and then pulled out a muffin. Tom hissed at him, but Ron just gave him a crude hand gesture. 

“Hey, Ron. And I won’t forgive you if you get me banned from the library.” Harry smiled at him gently and then turned back to her reading. “As for your question, Tom, I was researching the Deathly Hallows. They’re in the Restricted Section. It was a perfect time to go when everyone was at the feast, even Filch.”

Tom blinked and then grinned. “You should have been in Slytherin.”

“Oi! Don’t insult Harry like that!” Ron spoke around his muffin.

Giving the boy a dead eyed stare, Tom sneered. “I would comment on your manners, but you would have to have some for that to work.” Harry giggled behind her large tome. Tom smirked while Ron went red in the face. The Weasley boy rolled his eyes and shrugged it off. 

“Whatever. I’m not a prissy boy like you are.” He munched on his muffin more. Tom snarled at him, but Harry ‘accidentally’ kicked him in his ankle. He calmed down and pulled out his quill to do his homework. Soon after that, Ron started begging him to help him with the holiday history work. 

“I didn’t realize you didn’t mind taking answers from prissy boys, Ronald.” Tom gave him a glare. “The answer’s no. Go and fail.”

Harry rolled her eyes. “Oh honestly. Does a person have to go to the Underworld for peace?” Only Ron knew she wasn’t kidding. He choked on the last of his muffin. The noise brought Pince over, who snagged Ron by his ear and dragged him out of her library. Harry shivered. “That is one person I’m actually afraid of.”

“Pince? Why?!” Tom raised an eyebrow at her in shock. 

“Because she has the power to cut me off from information,” Harry whispered it and then gave the returning woman a blindingly innocent, sweetly angelic smile that made the woman smile in return and walk by. 

Tom chuckled. “You are one of a kind, Harriet Potter. You’re a walking contradiction.” He opened his DADA book and started reading the chapter quickly.

“How so?” He glanced over at her before returning to his reading. She hadn’t even looked up from her own book. 

“You’re a champion of the Light, but you’re willing to learn Dark Magic. You’re famous, but you want to be left alone. You’re powerful, but you let people think you’re insane and weak. You’re knowledgeable, but you let people think you're stupid.” He grinned at her.

“No, I don’t.”

“You always let Granger show you up. You never answer questions in class unless she doesn’t know them! Yes, you do!”

Harry sighed and put the book aside in order to pick up another one. “Okay, fine. I do that, but it’s for a very good reason.”

“Why?”

She smiled at him sadly. “Because Grindelwald has followers who escaped justice. They settled down and got married and had kids. Where are those kids now?”

Tom’s eyes widened in shock. “Here. At Hogwarts.”

Waving her hand around lazily, she shrugged. “I’m a strategist, Tom. I’m pragmatic. I know for a fact that he will return. When he does, his followers will come flocking back. When that happens, Grindelwald will pull those sweet darlings aside and asked them everything they know about me. They’ll all tell him what I want them to know. Showing off is my worst nightmare, Tom. I don’t want anyone to know anything about me. No one, not even you, knows quite how powerful I am or how much I know. I’d like to keep it that way.” She turned back to her book. “However, you can’t do that. You and Hermione are alike in many ways, but there is one key way.”

“Oh? What how am I like her?!” He glared at her, belligerently crossing his arms.

“You don’t want to be sidelined.” Harry smiled at him sadly when he went still. “You both want to  _ be _ somebody, and you want to be noticed while doing it.” Her lips pursed. “I’m guessing it’s because Hermione wants to prove that just because she’s a Muggle Born witch doesn’t mean squat, and she can still get to the top. She’s probably gunning for Minister, just to prove to the haters that she can do it.”

“And me?” Tom’s voice shook  _ ever _ so slightly. Hardly noticeable. 

“You’ve lived all your life as an orphan. Tom. Such a common name. An orphan no one knows, no relatives, no one cares. No one liked you at the orphanage. At first, you were lonely and then you convinced yourself that you liked it. But you don’t. You were just a face in a sea of grubby faces for so long that now you want to outshine, outperform, and outdo  _ everyone _ . Including me. And that’s the main reason you’re being friends with me right now. It’s not because you  _ want _ to be my friend for friendship sake. You want to learn everything you can…to show me up.” Harry waved off his protests. “Tom, I know. It’s fine. You’re in Slytherin for a reason.” She chuckled and went back to her book. “I’ll teach you some of what I know, but you’re gonna have to beg me for the rest.” She winked at him over the top of her book. 

Tom stared at her in utter shock. “You’re not an ordinary eleven year old, that’s for bloody sure. Why are you willing to be anonymous?” He flipped to the end of the chapter in his book and started copying the questions and answering them. He didn’t need to read all the chapters, just skim it.

“Because, unlike you, I’ve learned that being noticed is hell. Secrecy and shadows are my friends.” Harry kept her voice even and her face carefully neutral. She wouldn’t go into how her home life was. “Hiding behind others means safety.”

“Why would you crave safety over identity?” Tom’s keen blue eyes scanned her and then he slumped when she didn’t answer. “You’re going to ignore me?”

“No. Just the question. If I have to answer it, then you don’t deserve the answer.” Her green eyes flashed. “I’ve known you for only a few months, Tom. Leave it for another time.”

“Fine.” He didn’t look happy about it, but he let it die. They continued working on their homework in silence.

When they were done, they parted ways, and Harry went up to help Ron in the Common Room with his own homework.


	8. Learning New Things is Fun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry trains, and Tom schemes. Rinse and repeat. ; D

Harry yawned as she woke up slowly. She was the only girl in her dorm room who remained, so that meant she had her room all to herself. Tom was the same. Ron had Seamus Finnigan sharing with him, but that was all. Neville and Dean had gone home.

Stretching, Harry climbed out of bed only to recoil and snap her shadows up to deflect a spell that was launched at her. Death nodded to her. “Good. Come.” He opened the veil. Harry gestured to her pajamas. He lifted an unimpressed brow.

“Is that suppose to tell me something I care about?”

She snorted and walked passed him through the veil. “Jerk.”

“ _ That _ name I have been called before.” He smirked and followed her. They stopped right in front of his house. 

“Now. Begin.”

“What?!”

Five Reapers appeared out of nowhere and moved in. Harry snarled and jumped to the side. Death hadn’t taught her any physical education. She didn’t know how to flip like a ninja or run up walls or anything cool. She mainly could just run and scream or stand and fight using her shadows.

She held her ground and launched her own tendrils of shadow at them. She wrapped them around their scythes and bone saws, twisting them out of their hands and casting them to the side. Harry had four threads lift her up and carry her to the right to avoid the attack of one, Grell. Jumping back to the ground, Harry used her shadows like swords and blocked the attacks once the Reapers grabbed their weapons again. She jumped, dodged, and generally avoided getting hit. However, she wasn’t going on the offense.

“Enough!” The Reapers pulled back instantly. Harry watched them and Death warily. “Harriet, fight back. They cannot die. So try to kill them. Fight them. You’re just defending yourself right now. Fight them. Try to kill them.” His eyes were dark and angry. He only got this way when she held back or didn't perform to her usual standards. He had no time for childish behavior.

Harry gritted her teeth and nodded. She hated disappointing Death, and he hated to be disappointed. 

“Again!”

They fought for hours. She sliced and thrust with her shadows, pushing the reapers back, and then defending herself when they, in turn, tried to push her back. With a grunt, Harry used her tendrils of shadows like throwing blades and threw them at all the Reapers. She impaled them each with four tendrils of silky, sharp blackness. They were like black spears sticking out of their bodies. Harry didn’t let them go. She wrapped her shade around them and bound them with her threads like a spider would when making a cocoon for its victim. 

When it was clear that the Reapers couldn’t get out, Harry looked at Death. He nodded, and she let them go. Death stopped the fight from continuing. “Excellent. Thank you for helping.” Grell blew him a kiss and vanished. The other Reapers merely bowed and left. 

Harry snorted. “Are you gonna keep that guy dangling?”

“I have for a thousand years. Why should I stop now?”

“You’re horrible.” She grinned at him and wiped some ash off her cheek. Death chuckled. 

“Well, that’s nothing new. Now, pull out your wands. You’re going to be dueling me with actual magic.”

She gave him a wary glance but pulled out her wand.

“Did I say just one?”

Frowning, Harry pulled out her African Rosewood wand as well, giving him a look. 

Death smiled and pulled out his own. “Now. Let’s begin.”

They fought for much longer. Harry was destroyed. After he called a break, she collapsed onto the ground and groaned. “Is this what dying feels like?”

“No.” He smirked at her and then handed her water. “That’s just what being overdramatic feels like. Get up. You need to keep moving or else your muscles will cramp up.”

“Do you really care?” Harry groaned as if in agony and pulled herself.

“You’ll find that I care a lot more about you than I have ever cared about anyone in my existence.” He gave her a look before continuing his lesson in dueling. “You must never overexert yourself. If you do, then the opponent will pull you off balance. Never experiment while dueling. Stick to the spells you know for certain. Use your imagination. The summoning spell is simple, but it could be deadly in a fight. Play dirty. Don’t try to keep your honor. Your opponent needs to die before anyone finds out that you can’t.” She nodded somberly.

“Try to fight alone. Don’t involve others. The fewer people who witness you surviving deadly spells the better.  _ Learn _ memory charms and spells immediately. Become a master in those. Those will help you in a pinch.”

She nodded again. Death took her back into his house. “Now, you know how to hold your own against monsters of the Underworld. You can, if you must, summon hordes of zombies and undead to you. You can animate skeletons and have them fight for you. Sheer numbers have been known to overwhelm even the most skilled fighter. Don’t be afraid to destroy their energy and leave them in literal ashes, Harriet. It’s either them or your secrets.”

She nodded again. “Yes Death.”

“Good. Now go back and take a shower. You’ve been gone for hours.” She huffed and nodded. Death watched her leave and then frowned. “Harriet.”

She paused and turned to look at him over her shoulder. “Yeah?”

“Whatever happened to you hugging me?” He tried to sound casual about it. Harry smirked and moved back over to him. She hugged him tightly, taking a moment to rest into his frame. 

Pulling back, she grinned up at him. “Happy now?”

He snorted. “I’m Death. I’m never happy.”

“Sure, sure.” She winked and vanished through the veil. 

Death became aware of another presence. 

“Should I be worried over my daughter’s virtue?” He turned and saw a silvery, translucent figure. James Potter.

Huffing, Death crossed his arms. “Shouldn't you be in the Isles of Heroes?”

“ Eh, I got a pass. ” He actually hadn't _ .  _ “Now, what about my daughter?”

“I feel for your daughter exactly as if she were my own daughter.” Death shrugged. “Niece, actually. A pupil who is related to me. I am loyal, but if you are suspecting any romantic feelings, then you are greatly off the mark. I have never felt love except perhaps now in a strictly platonic sense.” He regarded the spirit. “Are you satisfied?”

James gave him a cheeky grin. “ Sure am.” He vanished and then reappeared closer than before.  _ “ _ Just make sure to keep away any boys who don’t deserve her. Okay?”

Death gave him a slow nod and a quiet smile. “On that, you have my word.”

“Good.”

~It's Christmas!~

Harry stared out the window as she waited for the rest of the sparsely populated Gryffindor Tower to wake up. It was Christmas Day, and Ron would have skinned her if she had opened her presents before he was awake.

She walked downstairs to the common room with all her presents that the House Elves brought to her bedroom.

Death appeared. “Wait! Don’t bring that one.” He took the package from her hand and then unwrapped it. “My cloak.” He smiled at her. “From Dumbledore to you.”

Staring at it in awe, Harry took the shimmery cloth and then wrapped it around herself, vanishing completely. “Can you see me?” He shook his head, looking slightly disconcerted. “You really can’t?”

“No. I cannot. Take it off now.” She obeyed and stared at the cloak. 

“How is it that you can’t see me?”

“I cannot see what is made of me. It is my cloak, a fragment of it. Anyways, I asked you to open it here instead of in public. If the mortals had discovered that you owned this, then it would be stolen from you.”

Harry nodded quickly. “Got it.” She turned around and then opened her trunk. After folding it neatly, she put it at the very bottom. “I’m going to have to make a secret compartment for this.” That done, she turned, grabbed her things and then faltered when he offered her something. “But you already gave me a  _ wand _ , Death!”

He chuckled. “Just accept it.” She took what he handed her and opened it. 

It was a beautifully carved bone pin. It was looked like a skeletal hand pressed against the palm of a flesh hand. Palm to palm. 

“Whenever you hold this, you will be able to summon any spirit by name and have an hour to speak with them about anything. There is a cool-down period after each use, however. It lasts for a day.” He shrugged. “Easier than going through the ritual I taught you.”

Harry looked at him and beamed. “Thank you!” He smiled when she hugged him again. “But what do I get Death?”

“You have already given me more than I could possibly have hoped. Entertainment, pride, and joy. Now, go and join your erstwhile friends.” He snorted. Harry gave him a look and then grinned brightly before pinning it to her inner robes and rushing off with her presents.

Death tilted his head slightly and then looked at the nearest mirror. He could not see his reflection for he was not. 

Sighing, he shook his head and vanished into the shadow world.

Meanwhile, Harry grinned as she met up with Ron, Seamus, Percy, George, Fred, and one other Gryffindor upper year who was staying in. They opened their presents and shared their candy and pretty much enjoyed themselves. Harry grinned and pulled on her sweater before rushing off to see Tom, who would undoubtedly be in the library. 

She raced up only to slow down immediately when Ron called to her. “Going to see the snake?”

“Yep. Wanna come with?” She adjusted the box she was carrying.

“Yeah. I have something for him too.” He grinned nervously. “I know we’re not close, but I’m hoping he’ll like it. Who knows though, might not be his style.”

Harry opened the doors and looked around. They both spied him near the window and moved swiftly over to him. “Tom!” Harry grinned easily and sat down next to him. “Books later. Presents now.”

He blinked in confusion when Harry pushed her present for him into his face. “You got me something? But-”

Waving her hand smartly, Harry spoke over him. “Get me something really nice for my birthday to make it up. Now open it.” He smirked and did as told. 

It was a beautiful potion set complete with samples of nearly every plant and herb and animal sample. It must have cost at least two hundred galleons.

“When the goblins showed me my trust vault, I knew there was no way I could use this money. You’re good at potions. So…” She shrugged. “Here you go.” Tom stared at the beautiful knives and instruments. He felt an overwhelming urge to do something he had never done before.

Setting the case aside, he pulled Harry into a quick hug before moving away and clearing his throat. “Thank you.” He turned to Ron. “I’ll have to get both of you something really nice for your birthdays apparently.” Ron snorted and shrugged.

“None of that. This is actually a second thought gift. Nothing as fine as Harry’s. She’s the wealthy one among us.  _ You’re  _ probably wealthier than I am.” Tom blinked at that confession and then took the present. 

He opened it quickly and then inhaled sharply. It was a book. Really, really old, but in good condition. 

Ron explained. “It’s been in the family for years, but no one ever cared to read it. I honestly don’t know why it was with  _ us _ . The Weasley’s have been a Light Family for centuries, but whatever. You said you were interested in the Darker side of magic. So here you are. Probably nothing compared to what others have, but it’ll show you the history of the Dark Arts and some spells. Grey material, but it’s a good jumping off point, I’m thinking.” Harry hid a smile. Ron was nervous. He was taking Tom’s silence as bad and was running on nerves.

“Ron.” She cut him off with a smile. “Tom loves it. Take a look at him.” Ron blinked and realized that his friend was right. The boy was already immersed in the book. He laughed in disbelief.

“Okay then.” He looked at Tom and then at Harry. “Can he hear us right now? Or are we just ‘blah, blah, blah’ to him?”

“I honestly can’t tell.” She frowned in thought and then shrugged. “Whatever, I have to write a letter to your mum to thank her for the sweater anyway.” Harry pulled out a parchment and a quill and started writing. Ron sat beside her and started asking her what else she got.

“Well, your family’s presents and Hermione’s, and Headmaster Dumbledore gave me a family heirloom that I didn’t know existed until now. It’s my father’s. I’ll show you sometime. Hagrid gave me a whistle too.” Harry grinned in excitement. “Also, I got a present from my mentor, you know, the bachelor who lives just  _ south _ of my house?”

Ron’s face blanched and then he laughed. “South. Yeah. I know him. He’s a bit of a scary bloke. Anything else?”

Harry shrugged. “No.”

Frowning, Tom surfaced. “What about your aunt and uncle, the Muggles ones you live with?”

“Oh! Yeah, they gave me fifty cents.” 

Ron frowned. “What’s cents? Like common sense?”

Tom snorted from behind the book. “Purebloods.” He looked up when Harry showed Ron Muggle money. Tom frowned. “Wait a mo. That’s all they gave you?” His dark eyes cut into Harry, who shied away and bit her lip. 

“Well, they are quite busy this time of year and such. Anyways, it’s nice of them to think of me.” She smiled at him before turning back to Ron and explaining how Muggle money worked.

“Cool!”

“You can keep it if you like.”

“Gee! Thanks! Dad will flip when he sees it! He’s crazy about Muggle junk.” Ron studied the coin a bit longer.

Tom sneered. “Tell him that I have a perfect, adult, female, Muggle specimen that I can petrify and send to him for free. Mrs. Wool wouldn’t mind being donated to science and learning I’m sure.”

“Tom!” Harry laughed and shook her head. “Honestly, I don’t know why I assume you’re being serious.”

“You’re smart, that’s why.” Tom turned back to the book. “I hate the old bat.”

Ron blinked at him and then went back to oohing over the coin.

Harry picked up the small snake, Nagini is what Tom called her, and smoothed her fingers on her scales. “She’s beautiful!”

A corner of Tom’s mouth twitched into a smile. “She says that you have excellent eyesight.” Harry laughed and continued petting Nagini. Ron snorted.

“Vain little thing. I’ll have to make sure she doesn’t meet up with Scabbers.” He gulped when Nagini reared her head and looked at him with keen interest. Tom hissed something at her, and she lowered herself almost sulkily. 

“Sorry, but when you mentioned a rat, she wanted to sniff him on you and track him down. I told her to leave you alone.” Tom looked at Harry’s raised eyebrow and smirked. “And to leave the rat alone too.”

Harry finished her letter and then got up to read over Tom’s shoulder. “Ooh! That’s cool! You can invert a person’s skin with only a simple spell!”

Ron paled. “What?!”

Grinning, Harry looked at the book in eagerness. “Ron, do you have other books like this one?”

“No, but you probably do.” Harry snorted. 

“The Potter Family is a Light Family. They wouldn’t have anything.”

Ron frowned at her. “Not the Potters. The Blacks. You’re the goddaughter to Sirius Black. I heard Mum talking about you just the day before school started in fact. Don’t you know your own lineage?”

Faltering, Harry frowned at him in confusion and then shook her head. “I only know that I’m a descendant of the Potter line. That’s it.”

“Well, come this summer, I’m taking you to Gringotts to test your blood.” Ron looked at another sample in Tom’s potion set. Tom looked at him with keen eyes.

“What do you mean? Blood tests?”

Blinking under Tom’s heavy stare, Ron spoke faintly, “Gringotts gives bloodline tests for any who want it. It’s to help prove who’s the direct descendant and heir of whom and to help clear up blood ties and will readings. They have it down to a fine science. They can even tell you how much Magical blood you’ve got!” Ron grinned at him and Harry. “It’s pretty cool. Also, it's a matter of law for all purebloods to get the test when they’re babies. I remember Ginny getting it, that’s the only reason I even know about it.”

Harry grinned at Tom. “We both can go! You and I can both see what we are!”

Nodding quickly, Tom began wondering who his father was. His father had to be a wizard. His mother wouldn’t have up and died on him if she was magical. Turning back to the book, Tom felt a strong urge to smile. Things were definitely looking up. 


	9. Desires and Dark Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry finds a mirror, and Tom misunderstands something very important.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so happy that this story has reached over a thousand hits so quickly! Thank you all for commenting and leaving kudoes!  
Ink...

~that night~

Harry tossed and turned and then decided to take her cloak out for a turn. Pulling it out, she put it on and started exploring the castle. It was easy getting tunnel vision when invisible, but luckily she had already gone through training with Death when she learned how to shield herself with shadows. Harry grinned as she spooked Peeves and Mrs. Norris. She kept exploring until she had gone through half of the castle and had discovered three passageways that went off to areas she didn’t have time to look into at the moment. 

However, it was when she was trying to get back to her tower that she found the mirror.

She saw it and pulled off the cloak. “Death?”

He appeared quickly. “What is it?”

“That’s what I want to know.” She pointed at the mirror. Then, something caught her eye. “Wait! How did Mum and Dad get trapped in there?!” She rushed to it, but Death stopped her by grabbing her shoulders and pulling her back. 

“Harriet, wait. That is not your real mother or father. That is only an enchanted reflection. Look at the inscription at the top. Reverse it and fix the spacing. Read it now. I show not your face, but your heart’s desire.” 

Harry stared at the mirror. “And that is…what? To see my family again? But I see their ghosts all the time practically.”

“To have them living with you. Your heart’s desire is to have your family back. Even though you know to bring them back is impossible, you still dream of it. To have a family means you don’t have to-”

“Live with the Dursleys… Death, do I have any family left? Ron said something about me having a godfather.”

“Yes. Sirius Black. He’s in Azkaban. Framed for your parents’ murder.” Death spoke calmly about this, but Harry turned sharply. 

“What?!”

“Shh!” He looked through the door and saw no one coming. “There were four friends. James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. Pettigrew sold your parents’ location to Grindelwald for a few hundred pieces of gold. Sirius Black was framed for it. I’ve told you about Fidelius Charms. Sirius Black was to be the secret keeper, but Pettigrew claimed it would be too obvious and volunteered for it. It was last minute, so no one could prove it to be true.”

Harry sat down and stared at the mirror. It suddenly shifted and showed a laughing man, carefree, holding Harry’s hand and in the distance was the Dursley home on fire. Harry blinked at the last part.

“Oops.”

Snorting, Death crouched beside her. “Harriet?”

“Is there any way to get him free?”

“Find Pettigrew. He, your father, and Sirius Black became unregistered animagi. Potter was a stag. Black was a dog. Pettigrew was a rat.” 

Harry looked up at him. “What about Lupin?”

“Werewolf. They did it for him because animals calmed the man down when he was shifting. Now that he’s the only one left, he has to stay in a silver cage.” Death stood up again and fingered the cloak. “It isn’t smart to stay in front of the mirror for too long, Harriet. You’ll go mad.”

She stood up and nodded. “Right. Got it.” She glanced at the mirror once more, before taking the cloak and vanishing. Death shivered slightly. He hated not seeing his charge.

~that morning~

Harry grinned and pulled Tom along. “You’ll love it, Tom. It’s an enchanted mirror that shows you your heart’s desire! It might not come true, and it can only be seen by you, but it shows you what you want most.” Tom was fascinated by it the moment he saw it.

“You can’t see this?”

“Nope. What is it?”

Tom stared at his reflection. He was standing in the most wealthy, opulent room he’d ever seen, dressed in the robes of the Minister. He had hundreds of people with no faces bowing to him, cowering. He smiled. “Everything I’ve ever wanted.” He saw his father standing on his right, smiling at him with pride. “I’m someone important, with money. My father’s with me.”

He turned away hesitantly. “What did you see?”

Harry laughed sadly and shook her head. “My dead parents. I want my family back.” She opted not to tell him about Sirius Black and everything else she’d learned. “Come on. I don’t think it’s safe to stay in front of it for too long. It twists your mind, makes you bonkers.”

Shrugging off her hand on his arm, Tom nodded. “You go on ahead. I’ll meet you in a moment.”

Harry sighed but let him alone, wondering if she had perhaps done the right thing in showing the boy the mirror. Grudgingly, Harry left the room. She didn’t want to leave the mirror either, but she could always summon her parents and talk with them for an hour each day. It was fine. It wasn’t the same, but at least she knew what her father’s favorite flavor was (blueberry). Harry grinned quietly as she recalled the few conversations she had with their spirits. 

Taking a moment, Harry grabbed her pin and called out clearly. “Peter Pettigrew.” Nothing happened. She grinned darkly. “He’s still  _ alive.” _ Her eyes glinted with hidden rage.

~next night~

Tom looked around and moved to stand in front of the mirror again. 

“It’s peculiar how much the mirror causes one to form tunnel vision.” Tom jerked and turned fast. His shoulders slumped when he saw it was Dumbledore.

~ sometime later~

Tom faltered at the doorway. “Sir, what do you see in the mirror?”

Giving the boy a bland smile, Dumbledore chuckled. “Me? Well, I see myself holding a brand new pair of fluffy socks.” He winked. “One can never have too many socks, Tom.”

Knowing a lie when he heard one, Tom smiled back and left. His question had been rather personal, but still, the least the old coot could do was outright refuse to answer, not give Tom some stupidly obvious lie. 

It was insulting.

Tom sneered as he descended into the dungeons.

~days go by~

Harry looked around her swiftly before rushing into the woods. She hadn’t practiced her Death Magic in such a long time. With a laugh, she lifted herself off the ground with her shadows and ran through the woods on air. Dark ribbons of blackness curled and floated through the air, swirling slowly around her like an oily vortex of shadows. 

Laughing louder this time, Harry allowed the shadows to drape over her body, like a long black negligee, dripping over her skin. She grinned and yanked her hands up. The ground shivered and bubbled and then erupted with skeletal hands that clawed their way to the surface. The skeletons danced with her in a macabre, twisted version of a waltz. Harry grinned and laughed and then stilled. Everything went still as she listened closely to the sound of thumping feet. Putting her wands away, Harry allowed her skeletons to become reabsorbed back into the earth. She covered herself with shade and faded into the background, silently watching for whoever it was to pass her by. 

It was Hagrid. The cheerful half-giant who invited her to tea and always waved to her when she was nearby. Harry smiled and watched him play with Fang and work cheerfully in the woods. 

He passed her quickly enough, and Harry slowly emerged from her hidden spot. Quickly, she devolved into shadows and reappeared in her bedroom. “Well, that was close.” She snorted and went to take a shower.

~the next day~

Harry frowned when Dumbledore entered the library. She was with Tom and Ron, researching alchemy. She and Tom wanted to learn more about it, but Ron was just curious about Nicolas Flamel and the stone and why Grindelwald could possibly want it specifically. 

Harry knew, but she couldn’t tell Ron that without first telling Tom everything, and something held her back. The boy was too Slytherin to  _ not _ use her information to his advantage, and she was simply too tired to deal with schemes and strategies today. 

“Ah, Tom! My boy, there is someone here to see you, and I have something very important to discuss with you.” Tom blinked but nodded and packed up his things obediently. Harry looked after them, but didn’t speak up. 

“What do you suppose that’s all about?”

“Dunno. The Headmaster didn’t look angry…” Harry mused quietly before turning back to her reading.

Ron snorted. “Harry, he would look cheerful even if Grindelwald was attacking him.”

Snickering, Harry nodded. “True that. Speaking of Grindelwald…”

~meanwhile~

Tom sat down in a chair in front of Dumbledore’s office. “I haven’t gone looking for the mirror, sir. If that’s-”

Chuckling, Dumbledore waved his hand. “Yes, you have, Tom, but that’s not why I’ve called you in.” The old man smiled at him gently. “I know you despise living in the orphanage, and I know you would love to stay here at Hogwarts over the summer. Unfortunately, that isn’t possible. However, another option has presented itself.” 

Steepling his fingers, Dumbledore looked at Tom intently. “Think about this carefully, Tom. Mrs. Molly Weasley has offered to give you a home for this summer at her place with her other children. Their family is large. You wouldn’t have much privacy, and they are poor, so you would be just a little better off monetary wise than you are now. However, they are magical. You can practice magic there, confer with others for homework, and live in a much better environment. It is a trial run, as they say, Tom. She has offered for you to stay with the Weasleys until you graduate if you want. If you accept them, then you will never have to step foot in another orphanage again.”

Tom stared at him in utter shock. “I…”

“Mrs. Weasley is coming to meet you tomorrow. I wanted to tell you this now so you can think it through and digest it before she does come. If you go this summer and don’t like it, then she will not be offended if you leave.”

“How…how did she know about me being an orphan?” Tom swallowed.

Smiling, Dumbledore shrugged. “Her son, Ronald Weasley must have told her about you in a letter. Mrs. Weasley has a caring heart, but I will understand if you value privacy over Magic. Their house is small and crowded.” He gave Tom a look. “But they are good people, Tom, who are opening their home to you. Try not to…”

“Torment them, Sir?” Tom gave him an unrepentant look. Dumbledore didn’t smile, but he did nod. 

“Yes, Tom.”

“I’ll take her up on the trial summer. What about Wool?”

“Foster family alibi for the moment.” He nodded slowly and then stood up. 

“Is that all, Sir?”

“Yes, Tom. That’s all.” Dumbledore smiled at him. “Have a good day.”

“I shall sir. You as well.” Tom left, slightly numb and a hella lot confused. 

Who would want him? Why? What would Weasley get out of it?

These questions haunted him as he returned to the library. Ron wasn’t there anymore, but Harry still was. “Tom? You look like you’ve seen a ghost! What’s up?!” She stood up and moved to him. They walked to the table together. 

“Mrs. Weasley found out that I was living in an orphanage and has offered to take me in for the summer so I wouldn’t be surrounded by Muggles.”

Harry stared at him and for a split second, Tom could have sworn he saw bitter jealousy in her eyes. However the moment was fleeting, and she was hugging him tightly and congratulating him. “Now you can use magic anytime you want.”

“I don’t understand that. I’m still underage. Why is my location important?”

Harry pursed her lips and sat down next to him. “Because while the Ministry says they can trace each individual person, they can’t. Not really. A trace alerts the Ministry of magic going on in your general vicinity.” Harry tried for a smile. “Because I live with Muggles who can’t use magic, the Ministry would know that I’m the one doing the magic. However, children who live in a family of adult wizards and witches can use magic, because the trace might be picking up the adults. Therefore-”

“Only Muggle Borns, and orphans like us are caught on the Trace.” Tom looked angry. “So while I can use magic now, you still can’t?”

“Er…that’s right, but it’s fine. You see, the trace has a loophole.” Harry grinned. She had found all this out from Death obviously. He had warned her that she would have to practice wandless magic and master it before her first year at school. She hadn’t done all that much, but she still had an edge. It was bloody difficult, but she wasn’t going to give up. “You see, the trace tracks magic that radiates from a wand or a registered magical creature, like a House Elf. If you perform  _ wandless _ magic, like the magic you use to do back before you didn’t know any better, then the trace won’t track you. You’re home free.” Harry smirked. “You’ll find that the Ministry is full of things like that. If you really look for it, Muggle Borns and orphans, who’ve got nothing really, are shafted. Everyone says that equality between the two classes has improved greatly, but that’s all bull. Look at how you’re treated in the Snake House.”

Tom nodded slowly. “Why do they hate Muggle Borns so much?”

“Because of their relation to Muggles. Some, like Grindelwald’s followers, claim that the Muggle Borns stole magic and have tainted it.” Harry sneered softly. “It’s absolute shit though. They never explain how a person could go about _stealing_ _magic. _And they _never_ explain how a baby could do it.” Tom snorted and shook his head. 

“Muggles are monsters, most of them, but Muggle Borns are just like the Jews, aren’t they?” Harry nodded somberly. 

“You’re right. Sadly.”

“That’s just sick.” Tom sighed and re-opened his book on the Dark Arts. “Anyways, you said a while back that you wanted to be a Grey Witch. Why is that?” He glanced at her before copying down a spell he wanted to learn.

“Because there is no way I could possibly be a Light Witch, and being a Dark Witch is far too much trouble.” Harry grinned slyly and petted Nagini. “You see Tom, I’m looking into some interesting stuff.” He looked up immediately. 

“What stuff?”

“Necromancy.”

Even if he had only known about the magical world for six months, Tom still learned the do’s and don’t’s of the Magical World. He learned the rules first and fast so he could know what to break and what not to bother with.  _ This _ was something not to dare bother with. 

“You’re learning…Harriet, that’s a one way trip to Azkaban if you’re caught!” His eyes skittered around the room. “Even I think that’s foolhardy, and you know I don’t give a damn about the rules.” He looked around intently before packing up his things and hers and yanking her out of the library. He pulled her into a small alcove and placed wards against eavesdropping. “What are you thinking?!”

Harry laughed and looked at him in excitement. “But aren’t you curious?! Necromancy is the one and only truly unforgivable magic. Haven’t you ever wondered why?!” She grabbed his hand. “Dark Magic has different levels. There is the easiest, Grey Magic. Where a person can do both a Patronus spell and a Cruciatus Curse. Then there is the first level Dark, where they collect Dark relics and do a few lawfully questionable things. The second level Dark is when people do  _ morally _ questionable things. The third level is when they do  _ immoral  _ practices, getting closer to what Muggles call occult and dealing with demons, blood drinking, human sacrifice, and all that fun stuff, and that’s where people start getting addicted to the magical rush. The fourth level is-”

“When things get  _ really _ bad!” Tom stared at her. “Harry, you  _ know _ that I will be the last person to support the idiots in the Ministry, but even I know that they put most of those laws up for a reason. If the third level is bad with human experiments and sacrifices and twisted soul magic, then the fourth level is hell. Leave Necromancy alone!” He truly looked concerned for her.

Giving Tom a sad smile, Harry realized that he wouldn’t accept it as Hermione and Ron did. They were shocked, were still wary sure, but they trusted her. Tom couldn’t trust anyone, even himself. Plus, he didn’t realize that she was being tutored by Death himself. She wasn’t doing this on her own. Harry contemplated if she should tell him everything, but she didn’t. Tom wouldn’t take it well, and she still needed him on her side.

“Okay, Tom. I’ll get rid of those books. Don’t worry about me, okay?”

He nodded slowly and let out a breath. “I just want you to be safe, Harry.”

“I know.” She smiled at him, pecked a kiss on his cheek, and then shattered the wards with a wave of her wand. “But think about what I said about wandless magic. It might come in handy to evade the Ministry.” She gave him a sweet smile and walked off. 


	10. Angst and Assassinations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just like it says in the title.

Tom climbed out of the alcove and watched the Girl Who Lived, Champion of the Light, walk away. He swallowed and wondered what the world would think if they realized that their Saviour was stopped from doing Level Four Dark Magic by a Snake. 

Shaking his head, he went back inside to grab his own snake and then hurried back to his room below.

~meanwhile~

Harry sighed and went to visit Hagrid. She wanted to have a break from everything. 

Walking up to the hut, Harry knocked on the door. However, before she could even wait a moment, Death appeared and shoved her out of the way. A bright green spell appeared and hit right where she was standing. Harry ducked around the back way and banged on the door. Hagrid didn’t seem to be home. 

Quickly, she dissolved into the shadows and hurried into the woods. When she deemed she was alone, she turned to where Death was. “What was that?!”

“A killing curse. Someone is trying to kill you.” He quirked a smile. “They’re doomed.”

Rolling her eyes, Harry stomped over to him. “Hogwarts is supposed to be safe. I don’t care a hoot about myself, but my friends might be caught in the crossfire! Is Grindelwald behind this?!”

“Most certainly.” Death pursed his lips and then leaned against a tree. “But he can’t perform magic.”

“Who would serve him? Quirrell?”

“The man isn’t strong enough. His magic is waning. I doubt he would be able to summon a match.” Death snorted. “Obviously Grindelwald did some type of experiment on him in hopes that he could steal the magic and get his own back, but it isn’t working.”

“How do you know? Are you spying on him?”

“No. I don’t have the time. However, it’s common sense. He wants my hallows back. If he had his magic, then he would have acted by now.” Death shook his head. “No, he wants his magic, and he wants you out of the way. Waited until you left the castle alone most likely. This is the first time you’ve actually  _ walked _ out of the castle alone. All the other times, you’ve traveled through the shadows or you’ve had people with you.”

Harry shivered. “It’s the first time I’ve had someone actively trying to kill me before.”

“What about your first birthday?” He lifted a blond brow. Harry gave him an irritated look. 

“One that I could remember.” He snorted and straightened up. 

“No matter. Nothing has changed. You’re at Hogwarts to learn. Let Dumbledore handle this. Just report it and then go back to your homework.”

“He wouldn’t believe me.”

“Tell him anyway.” Death shrugged. “If he doesn’t believe you, then you can say ‘I told you so’ to Albus Dumbledore’.” He smirked. 

Harry laughed too and quickly traveled back to the school. She was really glad that she could travel within the school. It was much easier. When she appeared near the griffin, Harry pursed her lips. “Treacle Twists, Cauldron Cakes, Acid Pops, Teeth Toffee-” The statue moved. 

Sighing, Harry moved up the stairs and then slowly approached the door. “…only hope that my children won’t think badly. I want to do something for the poor boy.”

“I’m glad that you are wanting to help, Molly, but I must warn you. Tom Riddle is a very tragic case. He has grown bitter and vengeful against Muggles and any who deem him lesser than he thinks he is. He takes himself far too seriously, and has a bit of a violent streak. You won’t see anything but an angel for yourself, but your children might see something different if they antagonize him. You must think carefully about this before you sign any papers and make it official.”

“My children will have to befriend him and trust my judgment. I’m not going to let him stay another day at that orphanage. I went and visited it, Albus! It’s horrible! Children are forced to do chores in the cold and rain! I’ll not have a magical child suffer like that!”

Harry clamped down on the bitterness boiling inside her.  _ What about me? I lived in a cupboard under the stairs for pity sake and am treated like a slave! Beaten like one too! No one ever thought about looking in on my life! _ She pulled away, rubbed the tears from her eyes, and quickly rushed back down the stairs. Hurrying to her room, Harry fell onto her bed. She didn’t cry, wasn’t even close to crying really. A few tears slipped out, but she didn’t ball her eyes out. She was just still for the most part. 

A chill spread through the room. Harry knew Death was there behind her. Turning, she rubbed her eyes again before looking at him. He smiled at her sadly. “I sometimes forget that you are only eleven. A mere child to even humans. Come, Harriet. Leave the world of the living for a while.” He opened the veil.

She nodded and walked through the silvery gap in the air. Right when the veil was closing, Harry saw the door to her room open. She didn’t see who came in.

“Who was that?”

“I didn’t see. Do you want me to look?”

“Yeah.” Death vanished and then reappeared. 

“Tom Riddle. He was searching in your trunk and bookcase. I think he is looking for any Necromancy texts, to make sure you got rid of them.” Death raised an eyebrow. Harry sighed.

“Fine! I know. I took a gamble with him, and I lost! I thought  _ he _ of all people would understand me!” She rolled her eyes. “I should have known better.”

Placing his hands on her shoulders, Death squeezed gently. “Harriet, you must understand that you are not like most others. Tom Riddle is scared of me. Quite badly. He wants to avoid me.” He snorted. “Like he could. I always get the souls in the end, but humans have always been stupid. Fighting against the rising tide.”

“What does his fear have to do with me?”

“Because of his fear, he doesn’t understand what you are fascinated about. He thinks Necromancy truly is the darkest and most terrifying Art in all of Magic.”

Harry plopped down onto the white satin and bone sofa. “Why does the Ministry have it banned?” She stared up at him with her long black hair in a curly mess about her face. Death snorted.

“What are the fields of Necromancy?” He looked at her as he poured the tea.

“There are Life Energy, Animation, Soul Magic, and Shadows. Why?”

“Because the Ministry is frightened of two particular fields. Which ones would those be, Harriet?” He stared at her intently. “Which ones can they not fight against?”

Harry frowned and then looked up. “Life Energy and Soul Magic.”

“Exactly. Energy Magic is simply the manipulation of one’s life energy. This is how a Necromancer can turn anything to dust. While the Killing Curse has the drawback of killing only one person at a time, Energy Magic has no such obstacle. You could kill every single student in Hogwarts with only a snap of your fingers. Boom! Seven hundred and fifteen piles of dust.” He smiled at her.

Harry swallowed in shock. She hadn’t even thought about using Energy Manipulation against humans. “Oh.”

“The flip side is raising the dead. You know that, crudely put, you can take energy and infuse it into a person’s soul before that soul has left their body. Therefore healing their wounds, and mending their mind and body. They will get up and walk and live another day quite normally. The Ministry fears this amount of power.” He poured her some more tea. 

“As for Soul Magic, well you could turn the entire Muggle population into wizards and witches and turn all the wizards and witches into Muggles. Not to mention that no amount of occlumency training will protect their secrets from you. Soul Magic is frightening. The Ministry _also_ doesn't want anyone being able to raise entire armies that can’t be killed. So, as you can see, there is a reason that Necromancy is banned. It’s not banned because it’s wrong or evil or hellish- though I would say it _is_ _hellish_ all things considered- but because Necromancers are simply too powerful to be left alive.” He shrugged.

She hummed and spoke up. “And so, in order to hide their fear, they bury it under huge amounts of propaganda, claiming it’s highly addictive with child sacrifice and all other sorts of rot.” Death toasted her with his tea.

“Quite right. They've gotten nearly all researchers on their side.” He sighed sadly. “I remember teaching the first magic-user my art.”

“Who?”

“Morganna. She gave Necromancy the bad name it has now. I thought she understood, but she was drunk on the power. She wanted revenge against her brother, and so…” He shrugged. “I had to collect her soul as punishment for abusing my gift.” He smiled at Harry. “I know you aren’t the same.”

Harry grinned at him, and they lapsed into silence, drinking their tea.

When Harry returned, she was waylaid by Ron. “Harry! Where have you been? Tom and I have been searching everywhere for you! Hagrid said that he found a spell mark at his front door, and Dumbledore found a fragment of your cloak! The residue of the spell was the Killing Curse!”

Blinking, Harry frowned. “What? I’m fine. Well, someone did try and fire a killing curse at me, but I ran into the woods and then went to the Underworld. I just now came back.”

Ron made a noise. “The Underworld? How the hell are we going to explain that?”

Rubbing her jaw, Harry thought about it and then grinned. “I stayed in the woods.”

“No one’s gonna believe that!” He snorted and shook his head. “No one ever goes in there and comes out  _ not crying.” _

Harry huffed and rolled her eyes. Waving her hands a bit, she glared at him. “Fine, you think of something.” Ron sat down and then grinned. “You were in the kitchens! No one checked that!”

Tilting her head. “Kitchens? But I don’t know where they are.”

“Fred and George showed me. You go up to this portrait and tickle the pear and the painting swings open to show the kitchens. It’s a wonderful place.” Ron smiled dreamily.

Harry laughed. “Alright. I was in the kitchens. I already ate in the Underworld, so I’m not hungry anyway.” She smirked and motioned for him to come with her. “Better let everyone know I’m alright.” She hurried down the stairs and then stopped. “How did you get up to my room anyway?”  _ Come to think of it, how did Tom? _

“Tom found out a counterspell to the stair flattening thing. He’s only been here for a few months, but that kid is a genius!” Ron snorted and shook his head, and he kept on walking. “He gave it to me so I would double-check your rooms just in case you somehow evaded us and went up to your rooms again.”

They were found by McGonagall, who immediately started lecturing Harry on letting people know when she’s been attacked and not disappear for hours afterward. This lecture happened after she was assured that Harry was alright of course. Harry was surprised that Dumbledore gave her the same type of lecture. She could see via his soul that he had been worried sick. The thought calmed her jealousy of Tom a little, but not by much. Dumbledore and all the others only cared about the Girl Who Lived. They didn’t give a flying rat’s ass about Harriet Potter. 

Not even Tom truly cared. Only Hermione and Ron. And Ron she sometimes doubted. She caught him glancing at her mark on her wrist every so often. Everyone wanted her for titles and money.

It was exhausting. 

After Tom gave his lecture too, Harry was sent to the healing ward to be checked up and then sent back to her room to rest. 

Madam Pomfrey frowned. “Headmaster, I don’t know if it’s worth mentioning, but her skin was cold all over. The kitchens are warm. It’s almost like…” She laughed nervously. “Like she spent the night in a cemetery! She looked as pale as death, but healthwise, she’s as fit as a fiddle.” Dumbledore frowned in thought and then noticed how truly pale Tom looked.

“Tom? Are you alright? Do you know why Harriet was so pale and cold?”

Tom snapped his gaze up to the headmaster. “No, sir. I can only imagine how frightened she must have been though. She’s probably still in shock about the attack. Excuse me, I need to return to dinner.” He nodded to them and quickly left. 

Muttering in Parseltongue under his breath, Tom marched to his bedroom and looked at the books he had confiscated from Harry’s room. They had been hidden in the pillow itself. Clever. He had nearly missed it if he hadn’t thought of the same spot to hide his own things.

“ _ Master?” _

_ “I can’t burn her things, Nagini, but I want to. Doesn’t she understand that this is dangerous?! Every single book says that Necromancy is harmful and dangerous to both the caster and the victim. If the Ministry finds out about her dabbling in this, Saviour or not, she’s headed for Azkaban!” _

_ “Master, why is it banned?” _

_ “Because it’s addicting. Every single researcher has said so. Necromancers are like drug addicts. It’s worse than Level Three Dark Magic, and that stuff is bad enough. That’s like a hardcore drug use. Necromancy is like shooting up every single narcotic into your body in one big solution.” _

_ “Shooting up, Master?” _

_ “Injecting a drug straight into your vein rather than into your body indirectly via muscle, pill, or liquid to soften the high. Instantaneous.” _

_ “Oh.” _ He stared at the books and then jumped when Harry walked into his bedroom. She smirked.

“You’re not the only one who can break and enter, Tom. My books?”

“No, Harry. You can’t.” Tom stared at her. “You  _ can’t _ .”

She sighed. “Fine. Come on. Apparate us to the chapel, and we’ll hid it there. That good?”

He looked relieved that she wasn’t going to fight him on this and then he frowned. “But I can’t apparate within the school.”

“Right. Well, come on then.” She grabbed him and wrapped her shadows around both of them. Tom collapsed against the stonewall of the chapel after she re-appeared with him. 

Tom stared at her in panic. “What did you just do?!”

“Shadow Travel.” Her green eyes glittered slightly. “I can go anywhere I want to. There are no wards in existence that can keep me out.” Tom had to admit that he was incredibly curious, but he clamped that down and stood up.

“The more you use Necromancy, the more addicted you’ll get to it, Harry. Every single book says that. Every single wizard.” He stared at her. “Please don’t keep this up.”

Harry stared at him and then knew that nothing she could say would stop him from fearing Death Magic. Sighing, she slumped her shoulders. “Fine. You and I will walk back. Just go hide the books someplace.” She would have Death go and retrieve them later and leave copies or something. Harry knew she would have to keep all her light reading in the Underworld now. 

Harry muttered something under breath. It was the Language of the Dead, but Tom wasn’t around so he couldn’t have heard it. 

When he came out, she and he walked silently back to the castle. However, by the time they arrived, the awkwardness had melted away, and Tom and Harry were laughing and joking like old times.

When they entered the castle, Harry faltered when she saw Quirrell attempting to use magical spells and his wand. However, she became relieved and worried when he failed, and Snape did it quickly with a mere flick of his wrist. 

She caught Snape’s attention and a sliver of malice shot between them. He was ignoring her but that didn’t mean his emotions were gone. He still hated her guts.

Harry walked quickly passed him with Tom silently beside her.  _ If he hates me so much, then would he be wanting to kill me? If Quirrell truly can’t perform magic, then would Snape be the only other option? _ She saw Quirrell and Snape part ways. 

She was so deep in thought that it was Tom who saw it first. “HARRY!” He pushed her down the stairs and tumbled with her. Harry stared in shock as she saw the huge suit of armor fall down the stairs and bounce off the sides of the rails. Professors poured in on the bottom floor, looked at the armor and then up at the pale faces of Harry and Tom. 

Professor McGonagall went off to grab Dumbledore, while Professor Sprout climbed the stairs to them to escort them safely to the medical wing.

Harry frowned as Tom gripped her tightly to him.  _ Snape didn't come running but Quirrell did… _


	11. Death and Decay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Death reveals something and gets something revealed to him in turn.   
He is less than pleased.

“No doubt about it…” Harry spoke in an undertone to Tom. “Someone wants me dead.” His grip on her arm tightened. 

“Harry…” She smiled at him and took his other hand and placed it on her cheek. 

“I’m alive, Tom. Here, feel it.” She grabbed his other hand and pressed it against her heart. He relaxed significantly as he felt the steady heartbeat under her breast bone. “I’m alive, Tom.”

“And you wonder why I don’t want to die.” She smirked and shook her head in amusement. He gave her an irritated look. “What aren’t you scared?!”

“Tom, I’ve told you everything. Why haven’t you put it together?” He bristled. Harry stood up to let Madam Pomfrey examine her. 

“Put what together?!”

“That I’m going to die before I turn twenty.” Madam Pomfrey jerked back and stared at her. Harry smiled at them both gently and sweetly. “Grindelwald is the most powerful Dark Wizard of our time. He wants me dead. Dumbledore thinks he’s still alive. I don’t doubt it. There was no body. There’s always at least some type of remains or magical echo of death. But there was none. He’s alive. He’s coming to get me eventually. He will bring war with him. People will die, and I will die. The most I can hope for is to take him down with me.” Harry looked at the shaken healer.

“Am I okay, Madam?”

“What?! Oh! Yes. Yes, you are. Lucky. Very lucky.” She swallowed and looked at Tom as a signal to come forward for a check.

Harry sat down and continued speaking to her stunned friend. “I’m living on borrowed time after all. I should have died at one year old, but I didn’t, Tom. Instead, I’ve gotten ten years extra.” Harry laughed quietly.

“BULLSHIT!”

“Thomas Marvolo Riddle!”

Tom swallowed and smiled at Madam Pomfrey gently. “I’m very sorry, Madam. I must still be shaken. I don’t usually say words like that.”

Visibly softening, Madam Pomfrey nodded. “I’ll let it slide this time, but watch your tongue.” She gave him a look and then deemed him healthy. She gave Harry one more concerned look before ushering them out of her ward.

Tom pulled Harry none too gently aside and stared at her intently. “Every single human being fears dying! But you are the single most frustrating human I’ve ever met! You seem to revere death!”

Chuckling, Harry leaned against the stone wall. “Why shouldn’t I? I’ve been spared so many times. Living can be tedious, Tom. So can being famous. Everyone has a set idea of who you should be and never think to check with you if that’s what you want. When you fail to live up to their expectations, they have the audacity to get angry. Just you wait. Nothing truly has happened yet, but it will. New students will come in and drama will occur. I’ll bear the brunt.” She snorted and shook her head with a slightly bitter smile. “I always do.”

“Harry?”

“What? Oh, goodness, I’m probably boring you!” She laughed and moved over to the main corridor again. “Come on, I want to sweet talk the people in the kitchens. I’m hungry again.”

“What about curfew-”

“Tom, we’re on hols. Relax.” She winked at him and then walked away, her black hair swaying like shadows from a willow tree. Tom stared at her, suddenly bewitched. He blinked and shook his head sharply and hurried after his friend.

~school starts~

Harry knew instantly when Hermione was told about the two attempts on her life. She was worried. Harry had told both Ron and Hermione how she couldn’t die, but that didn’t mean they would suddenly stop worrying over her.

_ Of course, they wouldn’t stop. That would be too easy. Honestly! _ Harry snorted and shook her head as she hurried to the Great Hall for lunch. She paused when she saw Tom speaking angrily at Blaise Zabini. She shadowed herself and moved closer.

“I don’t care what you have to say for yourself! I told you to watch out for any threats in my house, and you failed. I found out just in time to stop her. And Draco claimed you were smart. I suppose I’ll just have to think up a punishment for your incompetence.”

Harry faltered when she saw a decidedly cold glint in his eyes. Nothing scared Zabini much, but the boy paled, turning a white chocolate color instead. 

When the boys parted, she frowned and allowed herself to appear. “Tom!” She linked their arms and laughed brightly and gave a blinding smile at Pansy, who snarled back at her. “Are you certain that Pansy shouldn’t have been in Gryffindor? She growls an awful lot for a snake.”

Other Gryffindors heard and barked out laughter. Pansy gave the girl a savage look before sneering and storming out. Draco shook his head and dropped near them. “I’d watch it, Potter. She really has it out for you.”

“Oh? I didn't think she’s strong enough to push a suit of armor.” Harry spoke flippantly. It made Tom want to shake her.

“Don’t you think you should take this more seriously?!” He glared at her. 

Harry gave him a long, strange look before trying to put on a smile. It looked uncomfortable, like she had suddenly forgotten how to smile. “Why should I?” Both Draco and Tom faltered. Suddenly, Harry gave them a bright smile and a high laugh. “When you do all the mothering and worrying for me?!” With a jaunty wave, she bounced off to her table. 

“She is the most confusing creature I’ve met,” Draco mumbled as he sat down at his seat at the table. Tom groaned. 

“And you only talk to her a few times a week. I swear, she’s going to give me grey hair.” Draco snorted.

“Why do you care so much?” He looked at Harry, who was throwing grapes at Ron’s open mouth and laughing when they bounced off his face. The twins were starting to get in on the action. 

Tom looked over too and snorted. “Because Harriet Potter is smart, cunning, knowledgeable, and would be a  _ very _ dangerous adversary.” He smiled into his cup. “And I have no desire to make her an enemy. Besides, I don’t like owing people anything. She was the one who got you and others to notice me.”

Draco nodded and then leaned closer and started telling him everything he heard from his father. “I found out what was in that third floor corridor. It’s a cerberus. It’s guarding what use to be in Gringotts. And you won’t believe who owned the vault that it used to be in and was broken open after it was removed.” Draco smirked. “Nicolas Flamel. Close friend of Albus Dumbledore and highly acclaimed Alchemist. His crowning achievement was-”

“The Philosopher’s Stone. The Elixir of Life.” Tom’s eyes immediately cut to where Harry was. “Whoever drinks it lives an extra hundred years and can keep on living as long as they keep on drinking.”

“It’s also said to increase your magic,” Zabini spoke up quickly. He was eager to get back into Tom’s good graces. “Whoever drinks it becomes even more in touch with his magical core.”

Tom hadn’t heard that part before. It certainly wasn’t mentioned in the books. He frowned slightly in thought. “Why would someone suddenly want a try for it now? What’s so special about this year?”

Speaking up again, Zabini nodded over to the Gryffindor table. “Well, the most eventful thing is that Harriet Potter has come out of hiding.”

“Out of hiding?” Tom frowned. “What are you blathering about?”

Draco explained quickly. “Dumbledore squirreled her away. No one knows where she lives. No one. Not even former members of his famous order that fought against Grindelwald. Her location was a complete secret because Dumbledore didn’t believe that Grindelwald was actually dead. This is the first time Harriet Potter has come out into the open. She’s significantly more vulnerable now than she was before.”

Zabini frowned. “But how can those two events be linked? Harriet coming out, and the Stone nearly being stolen?”

“Whoever wants that stone wants Harriet Potter dead,” Draco spoke calmly. Tom tightened his fists and realized it was true.

“Well then, we’ll just have to make sure he doesn’t get that stone. Put Goyle and Crabbe on it. I want that corridor watched. Even mark the professors.”

They nodded. Zabini swallowed. “And I?”

“I haven’t decided yet.” Tom smiled at him calmly. His eyes were glittering. “Pansy nearly got Harry with an ambush yesterday. And you could have stopped it since you knew, but for some reason, you  _ failed _ to alert me.” Draco gave Zabini an alarmed look.

Swallowing, Zabini tried for a smile. “I…thought she could defend herself…” Blaise knew how powerful Harry was. He could sense it. He had the rare ability to feel magic, and she was practically  _ made _ of it. She could hold her own easily against a weak girl like Pansy, but obviously Tom didn’t agree with him. 

“I see.” Tom stared at him a little longer before turning back to his meal.

~later that day~

Harry shoved her homework to the side and started going through the library’s archive of newspapers. She flipped back ten years and looked into the case of Sirius Black. She read about it until lunch was over. Knowing that people would go looking for her if she skipped a period, she groaned and packed up her things and hurried to class. She had DADA next with Slytherin. 

Her table was always the most curious. She was in Gryffindor ‘territory’ but with a snake in their midst on her invite. 

Harry had noticed that most of the Gryffindors were sullen. They were in a losing streak at Quidditch. Slytherin was skinning them.

Harry stared outside and sighed. Tom gave her a look. “What?”

“Nothing. Just wish I could fly again. I haven’t since Hooch’s lessons.” Tom snorted when Ron perked up.

“Yeah, you should try out next year. You’re really good.” Hermione hissed at him to be quiet when Quirrell looked over at them. 

The professor reminded Harry of her issue with who was trying to kill her. She wasn’t all that concerned about it. The only thing that worried her was discovery and her friends getting harmed in the process. 

She studied Quirrell and looked into his soul only for her mark on her wrist to suddenly burn like fire. 

“Oh!” Harry’s other hand dropped her quill and rushed to grab her wrist. Tom instantly leaned over to her. 

“Harry?”

“Nothing. I’m fine. It’s fine.” She smiled shakily and then quickly called out to Death.  _ ‘What just happened?’ _

_ ‘It seems that he is being protected by Grindelwald. You cannot see him.’ _

_ ‘How is this possible? You said that no one could stop me from-’ _

_ ‘No normal wizard or witch. Think, Harriet.’ _

She straightened up slowly and stared at Quirrell in shock. The professor didn’t seem to notice, but her friends did. Tom was concerned while Hermione and Ron knew she was talking with Death. 

_ ‘Grindelwald knows soul magic!’ _

_ ‘Parts of Soul Magic, not all of it, but yes. And that is how he is able to take Quirrell’s magic and life energy. You are dealing with another Necromancer. Though not as powerful as you, since I, Death, was your teacher, but Grindelwald is not to be taken lightly in anything.’ _

_ ‘I see. Thank you.’ _

Harry focused back on the class and worried her lip slightly. She blinked at Tom for a moment, not seeming to recognize any of her friends. The frightening moment ended when she smiled at all three of them and then packed up her things for the bell.

Nagini slid onto Harry’s shoulders but spoke out to her master.  _ “She does not seem to be drugged.” _

_ “Magic can leave no trace sometimes. No visible trace.”  _ Tom ignored Ron’s shudder. Parseltongue did sound eerie, but it was a graceful sultry type of eeriness. 

Turning, Harry petted Nagini while she smirked at Tom. “You’ve got to teach me Parseltongue! I won’t take no for an answer!”

Tom smirked. “Harry, I can’t guarantee that you can learn it. It’s genetic, and I’ve never yet heard of someone who has learned it like any other language.”

Musing to herself, Hermione spoke up, missing Tom’s sudden look of irritation. He still didn’t like her, but he tolerated her because he liked Harry more. 

“If it can be learned, then that means it isn’t genetic. Right?”

Ron shook his head and shouldered his book bag more securely. “Tom didn’t need to learn it like French or German, Hermione. That’s why it’s called genetic.”

“Where did he get it from?” She looked at Harry and then at Tom. Tom shrugged. Harry spoke up. 

“Considering that Salazar Slytherin spoke it, and it’s genetic, I would say that Tom is probably some distant relation to Slytherin.” Her eyes glinted with mirth. “So that means he’s a snake through and through.” Tom blinked at her and then laughed.

“No wonder the hat took a millisecond to sort me!” He smirked cockily and draped an arm around Harry’s shoulders. Harry blinked but didn’t comment on the sudden physical closeness. It wasn’t like Tom, but maybe he still wanted to be certain of her status as alive.

Harry looked up and frowned when she saw a student with a black armband. She looked like she was crying. “What happened?”

Pursing her lips, Hermione shook her head. “That’s Jessica Gingham. She just lost her baby sister. I heard some of the Ravenclaw girls talking about it. It was a fluke accident. The seven year old was swimming in their pond like always and then she got tangled in fishing nets, that their father had been cleaning, and drowned. They discovered her two days later after searching the entire village area for her.” Hermione shivered. 

Harry stared at the girl and then broke away from her friends. She walked up to Jessica. “You don’t know me well, but I just wanted to give my condolences.” Harry stared at her sadly. “I’m very sorry.” Jessica looked at her and then suddenly felt a seedling of hope spread through her soul. She felt like she could see the light at the end of the tunnel. Smiling softly, she nodded. 

“Thank you.”

Giving her another smile, Harry nodded and walked back to her friends. Death was amused.  _ ‘Are you going to make it a habit of fabricating feelings for those in grief?’  _ His thoughts curled around her head. She knew he was in the middle of a reaping.

_ ‘If I can ease the suffering of those who still live, then I will. Death should not be avoided when it is your own death, but that doesn’t mean it is easy for those who still are alive. Attachment. Love. Sentiment. Caring. Humans need these things, but they also make life horrible when the connection is severed.’ _

_ ‘By me.’ _ He chuckled. ‘ _ You’re too wise for an eleven year old.’ _

_ ‘Well, blame yourself. You told me the gruesome tale of my parents when I was three. You let me see a Dementor when I was six. My best friend was a skeleton dog that I animated myself. The only company I had was that of spirits, Grim Reapers, and Death. I was a lonely child who lived on death and decay.’ _

_ ‘Oh! That’s perfect!’ _

_ ‘What’s perfect?’ _ Harry dodged Ron’s hand when he waved it while waxing poetic about the wonders of Quidditch to an unamused Tom.

_ ‘Your new name. Decay. I’m Death, and you’re Decay.’  _ He sounded very amused.

Harry smirked and shook her head. “Ron, if you swing your hand one more time, I’ll lop it off.” Ron shot her a sheepish look but kept right on going, shoving his hands into his pockets this time.

_ ‘Death, I will not be called Decay.’ _

_ ‘Well, then what will you be called after this?’ _

_ ‘After?’ _

_ ‘After everyone you know is dead and gone, and it’s time to take up your new job as an immortal?’ _

Harry stopped walking. Her friends looked at her. She flushed and hurried up again.  _ ‘WHAT?!’ _

_ ‘I just realized that telling you about that slipped my mind.’ _ He sounded like he was trying to act innocent.

‘ _ SLIPPED YOUR- DEATH, NOTHING  _ ** _EVER_ ** _ SLIPS YOUR MIND!’ _

_ ‘Why thank you. I’ll tell you later.’ _

_ ‘No. You’re gonna tell me now.’  _ Harry looked around and then quickly sat down her desk in History. Vacant expressions were expected in this classroom, so she could be safe right now. Tom was in Charms currently. He had departed some time ago, but Harry hadn't noticed. She winced at that. He’d be offended most likely. 

_ ‘Takes himself way too seriously, that one. Anyway, since you are immortal, for all intents and purposes, you cannot die of old age or murder or anything else. You cannot age therefore and will stay at the age of twenty-one or around that when your body stops growing, it will stop there and simply not age. For anyone becoming the Master of Death after their bodies start growing older, then they simply stop where they are and not age any longer.’ _

_ ‘So I’ll look twenty something even after all my friends are in their sixties?’ _

_ ‘Correct.’ _

_ ‘Can I give this up?’ _

Death was silent for a long time. Then he finally spoke. His voice was edged with an emotion Harry couldn’t identify.  _ ‘…yes. You could in theory.’ _

_ ‘So if I chose to, then I could grow old and die just like everyone else?’ _

_ ‘In theory, yes. However, if you desire to keep this gift, then you can either wander the Earth learning everything you can and teaching everyone who is willing to learn, or you can take up my offer and become my partner. I need competent people in my department. Honestly, the demons and spirits working in Judgement get all the breaks.’ _

Harry snickered quietly.  _ ‘So the choice is still up to me. I can choose anytime I so desire?’ _

_ ‘Yes.’ _

_ ‘You want me to live forever, don’t you?’ _

_ ‘Yes.’ _

_ ‘Have I offended you, Death?’ _

But Death was gone from her mind. She couldn’t sense him any longer. Harry sighed and shook her head.  _ Attachment. _ She turned back and started copying an exasperated Hermione’s homework.

Giving her friend an innocent smile, Harry caught up on the notes and then started work on the in-class essay.


	12. Dragon Size Problems

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hagrid bites off more than he can chew, and it finally all catches up to Harry.

Tom gave Harry a look of suspicion when she sat there, reading her book beside him in study hall with Snape as proctor. It wasn’t that she was sitting beside him that made him suspicious. No, it was that she had been reading that page for ten minutes.

“Harry. Stop. Just tell me what’s going on.”

Her gaze quickly moved up to him and then she gave him that little smile of hers, the distant, pretty one that he hated so much. “Nothing, Tom. Nothing at all. Just thinking about life and death and all things in between.”

“Grindelwald.”

She winked at him. “Yeah. I think he might be a Necromancer. Not completely sure, but if his past actions and magic use is anything to go by…” She waved her hand towards the books she had taken out of the library. They were all about Grindelwald. “He knows at least a little about it.”

Tom didn’t really know what to think. It was smart for Harry to learn more about her enemy, but at the cost of reading more about her vice? He wasn’t so sure.

Knowing what he was thinking, Harry gritted her teeth and, for the first time since their meeting, glared at him. “Leave it, Tom.”

He looked at her before sighing and going back to his book. “What are you going to write about for the Charms essay? He did give us carte blanche.”

“I’m going with the topic of how Charms can be done without wands or speech.” Harry grinned. “It was something that Professor Flitwick said to me.”

Tom’s reply was interrupted when Blaise Zabini hurried up. “I overheard Professor Snape threaten Quirrell.” Tom motioned him to sit down. Harry jumped in quickly. 

She glanced around. Snape was currently rebuking another student at the end of the room. “Threaten him about what?”

“To tell him the secret to his room.” Harry frowned in thought. Tom hit upon it faster than she did.

“If that dog is Hagrid’s, then there must be more security under the trap door. Dumbledore wouldn’t just trust a mutt. All the teachers must be guarding it with their own level of security.” Tom looked up when Harry gave a noise. 

“And Snape must have gotten all the information for the other rooms except Quirrell. But why, if they’re working together…why should Quirrell…” She shook her head in confusion. “This doesn’t make sense.”

Blaise blinked at Tom, who shrugged. “Harry, it doesn’t make sense to us either, but it’s clear that you know more than we do.”

“Known about it for months actually. The Stone of Nicolas Flamel is being hidden there. Grindelwald wants it. He wants me dead, because I’m still his biggest threat besides Dumbledore. I thought Quirrell was under his control, but the man can’t perform magic.”

“Why?”

“He’s dying,” Harry spoke it flippantly. “That’s neither here nor there. Anyway, he can’t use magic, so who used that Killing Curse on me?”

“What about Grindelwald?” Tom frowned at her. 

Harry shook her head. “The backlash of the spell rebounding shut his magic down. That's why he wants the stone. It’ll give him back what he wants most. He wants his magic back. So, he obviously can’t be the one. Someone who uses magic. That makes-”

Tom looked over at the sullen professor. “Snape the only other suspect. Because he hates your guts.” Harry nodded.

“But now that they’re arguing…if they're both working together then they wouldn’t argue. So something isn’t right. Something doesn’t add up.”

Looking at Blaise, Tom nodded. “Get on that.” Blaise nodded quickly and hurried off. Snape was eyeing them intently and darkly. 

“Getting pretty powerful.” Harry raised an eyebrow at him. Tom snorted. 

“Two snakes are nothing. By this time next year, I’m going to have more. Draco is working on it. Also, if our hunch about my heritage is correct, then it’ll be much easier than I thought.” He smiled darkly. Waving that away, he looked at her. “How are you doing? With…giving it up.”

It took Harry only a second to realize he was referencing her Death Magic use. Swallowing, Harry gave him a convincing smile. “It’s fine, actually. I never really did more than just Shadow stuff and that was like the greyest of it all, so I’ll be fine.” She gave Tom a side hug. “Stop worrying so much. You’ll give yourself wrinkles.”

He snorted and shook his head before going back to his reading. Harry stifled her exhale of relief, and she too went back to her essay. Hermione joined them sometime later, and Harry filled her in on everything. She agreed with Harry that something wasn’t right. They’re Snape Suspicion wasn’t adding up.

“Quirrell could be just dying…” Harry glanced at Hermione and shook her head.

“No. I know he’s with Grindelwald.”

Her friend made a face. “You’re informant could be mistaken.” The air temperature went colder. Hermione went completely ashen. “Er! Not that he would ever be!” The air was still cold but less threatening. Harry glanced behind Hermione and saw a glowering Death. 

She frowned. He had been more sulky and sullen than usual. Skulking around but never talking to her. Her questions of her own death must be the cause, but Harry couldn’t get him to talk it out with her. She rolled her eyes and encouraged Hermione to put on her sweater and get back to the homework.

~a few days later~

Harry packed up her potions things and started walking in the opposite direction of the Great Hall. Sharing a look, Ron, Hermione, and Tom all hurried after her.

Ron spoke up first. “Just where do you think you’re going?”

“To Hagrid’s. I haven’t seen him much this year, and I wanted to visit.” She smiled at them and quickened her pace. Also, the castle was making her go slowly insane. She wanted out of it. She was feeling Death’s absence acutely. 

Shouldering her pack, Hermione sighed and started walking with her. Tom kept an eye out for assassins. Ron frowned at Harry. “Harry, what’s wrong?”

She stopped and then looked at him, really looked. With a quiet laugh, Harry bit her lip. “Nothing’s wrong, Ron. Just a little…distracted lately. I…had a falling out with my mentor.” That got Hermione’s attention. 

“Oh Harry, what happened?!” Tom was watching everything very carefully, his hand tightening on his yew wand. 

“Just a minor disagreement. He um…didn’t like my current views on my chances of survival. I said that I was alright with dying and he…was quite put out about it.”

Giving her a confused look, Ron rubbed his jaw slightly. “O-kay? That’s weird.”

“Who are you talking about?”

“My mentor. Than Otos Mort.” Harry grinned at her play on words. Tom frowned. 

“You have a mentor…right, I remember. You said he found you when you were a kid and befriended you. Sounds fishy.” Harry laughed and shook her head.

“Don’t worry about him. He knows my father very well.” She continued on before Tom could correct her use of the present tense. Hermione gave a high, nervous laugh and then quickly followed after Harry. They made it to Hagrid’s hut and quickly knocked on the door.

And while Hagrid was happy to see them, he wasn’t too willing to let them in. Harry frowned and looked behind him. She looked back at Hagrid only to hear Tom’s flattering voice talking about how grand it must be to have Dumbledore trusting him so completely. 

Hermione spoke up behind Tom. “We also kinda wondered who else worked with you in protecting whatever it is down there.” She smiled at him. Hagrid beamed at them both and blustered slightly. Harry was the only one who noticed how put out Tom was about Hermione taking his light. She frowned at that. 

Harry didn’t delude herself into thinking that Tom was nice and angelic. He was much like her. Bitter, angry, lonely, and desperate to get  _ somewhere _ in life. However, he was more desperate than she was. She had all the time in the world. He didn’t. Hermione was also like them because she had something to prove. Ron also had something to prove but was frustrated because he had no means to do anything.

She honed back in on what Hagrid was saying. So, Tom had been right. Hagrid wasn’t the only one guarding it and all the teachers were helping. 

“Let’s see…Professor Sprout - Professor Flitwick - Professor McGonagall - Professor Quirrell - and Dumbledore himself did something, ‘o course. Hang on, I’ve forgotten someone. Oh yeah, Professor Snape.”

Ron choked. “ _ Snape?!” _

“Yeah-” he gave Ron an exasperated look. “You still aren’t on that are yeh? Look, Snape helped  _ protect _ the stone, he’s not about ter steal it.”

Harry moved to sit down next to the fire and thought about it.  _ If Snape knew about it then, he must be in on it, but if Quirrell was also in on it… If Snape isn’t behind the attacks, then someone else is in the shadows, also working for Grindelwald. Someone as of yet unknown.  _ She looked at the fire when she suddenly realized it was much too warm in the hut. 

Blinking, she broke into the argument that Ron was having with Hagrid about Snape. 

“Hagrid?”

“And for another Dumbledore wouldn’t hire just anyone as a professor.” Tom snorted at that. Hagrid leveled a glare at him

Harry tried again. “HAGRID!”

Everyone turned to look at her. “Eh? What’s wrong Harry?”

She pointed to the fire. “Why do you have a dragon egg in your fireplace?”

Tom gaped and then back stepped. “Dragon?! But…there aren’t any wild dragons in England…” He looked at Hermione and Ron. Ron was shaking his head. 

“Yeah, there are, but keeping them is illegal. Hagrid…” 

“Ah,” Hagrid fiddled nervously with his beard. “That’s- er…”

Rolling his eyes, Ron stepped closer to take a look. “Where did you get it, Hagrid? It must have cost you a fortune.”

“Won it,” said Hagrid. “Las’ night. I was down in the village havin’ a few drinks an’ got into a game o’ cards with a stranger. Think he was quite glad ter get rid of it, ter be honest.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Tom muttered, taking another step back. He grimaced at the filth in the cabin. He wouldn’t be coming here again, Harry or not. Hagrid was a nut!

“But what are you going to do with it when it’s hatched?” Hermione looked at him with unease.

“Well, I’ve been doin’ some reading’,” said Hagrid, pulling a large book from under his pillow. “Got this outta the library-  _ Dragon Breeding for Pleasure and Profit _ \- it’s a bit outta date, o’ course, but it’s all in here. Keep the egg in the fire, ‘cause their mothers breathe on ‘em, see, and’ when it hatches, feed it on a bucket o’ brandy mixed with chicken blood every half hour. An’ see here- how ter recognize diff’rent eggs- what I got there’s a Norwegian Ridgeback. They’re rare, them.” He looked very pleased with himself, but Hermione didn’t.

“Hagrid, you live in a  _ wooden house _ .” Tom barked a laugh at her words.

Hagrid didn’t seem to be listening. He was humming merrily as he stoked the fire. Harry looked at Ron and Tom. Both boys seemed stunned at Hagrid’s new level of stupidity. She shook her head and waved Hermione off.

“It was nice seeing you Hagrid. Have a good time with your…fire breathing baby dragon.”

They walked out of the hut. Tom looked around and barked another laugh. “Well, there’ll be a new opening for a caretaker soon.”

“We have to stop him!” Hermione wrung her hands. Tom gave her a look. 

“Whatever for? He’s brought this on himself. The idiot wants a dragon, well then he’s gotta have the consequences too. His bed, let him sleep in it.” He shrugged and turned to Harry, who sighed. 

“Hagrid needs to be stopped, Tom. You don’t have to help us, but he can’t be allowed to raise a baby dragon!”

Ron snorted. “Shouldn’t you feel some connection to this, Tom? After all, dragons and snakes are both serpents.”

Giving the redhead a particularly deadly glare, Tom didn’t honor that statement with a reply. He looked at Harry. “You three are on your own with this one.”

Hermione stomped her foot and crossed her arms. “Tom Riddle, you are going to help us figure it out! Hagrid can’t keep a dragon!”

“Shut up!” Harry stared in horror as Pansy Parkinson looked at them and then quickly walked away. Tom cursed. 

“She heard. She definitely heard.”

“Damn.” Harry rubbed her face in exhaustion. Shaking her head, she exhaled. “Now what?”

“Leave Parkinson to me. She’s in my house. You three focus on helping that moron.” Tom walked away.

~days later~

Harry watched Charlie and his friends fly away with the dragon. She tugged Hermione along and then froze when she heard Pansy’s voice, complaining shrilly to McGonagall. She grabbed for the cloak but cursed quietly when she realized she had left it up in the tower.

Hermione stared at her in growing horror as they heard Filch coming close. Gritting her teeth, Harry grabbed her friend and shielded them both with shadows. Filch walked right on by. When he was out of sight, Harry and Hermione hurried back up to get the cloak. Then they quickly fled to their bedroom. 

Pulling Harry into the bathroom, Hermione put up a silencing spell and then turned on her fast. “What’s with that?! Riddle said he would handle Pansy and then there she is, free as a bird and squawking to the nearest teacher!”

Harry waved her friend down. “Cool it, Mione. Let me think.” She sat on the bathroom counter and curled up her legs, wrapping her arms around them. 

Giving her friend a concerned look, Hermione touched her knee lightly. “Harry?”

“What?!” Harry was tense. Within a moment though, she exhaled slowly and just curled into Hermione’s arms and cried. Everything she had been keeping from her friend came tumbling out. Sirius being her godfather and being framed for something he didn’t do, Death giving her the silent treatment, and Tom watching her like a hawk for any signs of Necromancy usage.

Hermione held her and soothed her while she finally allowed herself to cry. “You know, this is the first sign of human emotion I’ve ever seen you give. All that neutral happiness and peace and simmering anger and all…you can have other emotions than anger and happiness. You can have sadness and regret and bitterness and guilt.”

“I know. I just…I can’t cry. They don’t like it. I’ve never cried before.”

“What?” Hermione pulled away and looked at her friend intently. “Harry, who are they?”

“Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia. They don’t like it when I cry. I did when I was little, like two or one years old, but I stopped. They didn’t like it.”

“Harry, what did they do to make you stop?”

Harry pulled away and focused on washing her face. Hermione didn’t budge. Finally, Harry slumped and exhaled. Not looking up, she mumbled, “Vernon has a belt. Whenever I cried or made noise or showed any other emotion besides pleasant happiness, he…” Harry’s throat closed up. 

“Please, verbalize it, Harry. Please.” Hermione started running her hand through Harry's hair.

Taking a shuddering breath, Harry continued slowly, painfully. “He didn’t beat me to death, but three strikes for complaining. Four for crying loudly. One for crying at all. Five for glaring at Dudley. Ten for whenever Dudley complained about me doing something I hadn’t…”

She chanced a glance into the mirror to see Hermione’s face. She hadn’t expected rage to be there instead of loathsome pity or incredulity. 

“Why didn’t you tell-”

“Oh, I tried. My school nurse didn’t believe me. Gave me a lecture on telling fibs. My Uncle and Aunt are fine, upstanding British citizens. The policeman who stands at the gate of my school simply patted me on the head and told me to be grateful that I had a home when others were in the orphanage. I stopped telling people when Uncle Vernon gave me fifteen when Dudley told him I was telling people. Dudley always knew when I told.”

Harry sighed. “Tried running away too. Next door neighbor, Mrs. Figg found me and brought me back. Twenty for running and a weekend no food. The older I get, the less they make marks. They just don't feed me.”

“Tell Dumbledore.”

“Why? Would he believe me any more than all the others? Harry’s telling lies so she can stay in Hogwarts longer.” Her smile turned bitter. She turned violently and looked straight at Hermione. “Teachers aren’t always the answer, Hermione. Rules aren’t always followed. People don’t always do the right thing! People don’t always do what they should! Adults are believed more often than children! Don’t you understand?!” 

She laughed scathingly. “Death became my friend! He was the only one who cared! A primordial being who doesn’t understand what living is! Death was my constant companion. I made friends with spirits of little girls who had died in the seventeen hundreds! I grew up talking about different ways a person could die! My drawings in crayon were all about gravestones and scythes! I’m damaged, Hermione. Damaged and hated! The Girl Who Lived didn’t really live. I don’t know what it’s like to live! I’ve been growing under the shadow of Death for so long, I don’t know what people do when they live! I DON’T KNOW HOW TO LIVE!”

She couldn’t stop crying, couldn’t stop talking. Her voice became harsher and rougher. It was hard to breathe. Hermione was saying something. She couldn't hear it. Didn’t understand it. Suddenly, a scream shoved its way up through her throat. She couldn’t stop. Didn’t want to.

She felt so cold. 

“Harriet.”

Her eyes rolled up, and she passed out.


	13. Enter Sirius Black

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry lies. All. The. Time.   
That should be a new tag. Harry Lies.

Harry opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling.  _ I know that ceiling. _ She was in the healing ward. Looking around was harder than she had anticipated. 

However, she managed it and realized that Ron was still sleeping off his Dragon bite. Hermione was reading near a candle on her bedside table. Tom was crashed out on the nearest patient bed. He was awake, but they weren’t talking to each other. Harry scanned Tom’s soul and realized that Hermione had told him everything Harry had told her. She scanned Ron’s memories and was relieved to know that he was asleep and hadn’t learned a thing only that Harry had collapsed.

Harry pulled out her African Rosewood wand from through the veil and raised it up. “Obliviate.” Both Tom and Hermione forgot everything about Harry’s home life and past. Instead, she collapsed from stress and exhaustion 

She quickly vanished her wand and spoke up. “Well, aren’t you guys going to say good morning?” She raised an eyebrow at them. Tom scrambled off his temporary bed. Hermione rushed to her side, putting down her book. 

“Harry! Why didn’t you tell me you weren’t sleeping well?!”

Madam Pomfrey bustled in. “Here’s a sleeping draught.” Harry took it, quickly scanning the woman and realized that Hermione had lied to her about why Harry had collapsed. Now all three believed the same thing.

“I’m perfectly fine now, Madam-”

“Nonsense. Drink it. I don’t want you leaving this ward until those circles are gone.” She gestured to the dark circles. 

Harry sighed and nodded. When Hermione fussed over the waking Ron, Tom leaned in. “Harry, I’ll stay with you through this. You don’t have to fight this alone.”

“What?”

He gave her a look. “Don’t act like you don’t know, Harry. One of the withdrawal symptoms when stopping that sort of magic is exhaustion and over sensitivity to shocks and surprises, and high strung nerves. Don’t worry, Harry. I’ll help you through this.” He smiled at her, the smile actually reaching his eyes. Harry smiled back, slipping into her role of being the pleasant little girl everyone knew her as. 

“Thank you, Tom.”

It was only when they had finally left with a newly discharged Ron, that Dumbledore entered. Harry instantly knew he had been told everything by Hermione. 

“Are you going to send me back?”

He sighed. His silence was answer enough. Harry smiled at him sweetly and gripped her wand. “Well then, you don’t need to know.” His eyes widened in surprise and utter shock when she waved her wand. “Obliviate.”

What happened next has never happened to Harry before. Dumbledore fought back. He fought back  _ hard _ . Harry gritted her teeth but delved into his soul and didn’t just bury the memories, she  _ took _ them. He stumbled at the loss and then stared at her.

“What did you take?!” He wasn’t smiling or twinkling. He was angry. Harry looked at him. 

“What are you talking about?”

“You took something. I don’t remember-” His body straightened as his eyes widened. “Memories. You took something from my memories!” Dumbledore stared at her. “You must be very powerful to take that from me. Give them back, Harriet.”

“They are about me, Headmaster, and I shan’t. You were told something about me, without my permission.” She smiled sweetly at him. “I can’t let you remember. I’m sorry.” She would have let him remember if he had let her leave the Dursleys, but since he wouldn’t, she wouldn’t let him know. Tit for tat. Gritting his teeth, Dumbledore wracked his brain to try and spur the memories to come back. Harry laughed. “You can’t do that, Headmaster. It won’t work. You can’t spur on something that isn’t there.”

“But you can only do that if you-” Dumbledore stared at her. “Who taught you Soul Magic, Harriet?”

Not even surprised that he knew about Necromancy, in theory, Harry merely blinked at him slowly. The lie came fast to the liar’s lips. She smiled. “Grindelwald. I got his memories when he tried to kill me. At first, I thought I was going insane, but I later found out, after I got the letter, that it was just someone else's memories in my head.”

“How far back do you remember?” Dumbledore looked wary. Harry smiled.

“Ariana’s birthday was June 21, 1885, wasn’t it? Pity she died so young, but being an Obscurial that’s to be expected.” She looked at Dumbledore’s ashen face. 

“And you have known all along?”

Harry sighed and grabbed the pin Death gave her. “Here. Take this to your office, and when you are alone, say her name. Do not let go of the pin. You have an hour to speak with her before she is called back to the land of the dead. Grindelwald is a powerful and knowledgeable Necromancer. I learned quite a few things from his memories. And I even found this in Knockturn Alley by chance. He had been looking for it, thinking it was the Resurrection Stone. It isn’t, but it’s pretty much the same thing. Just not permanent.”

Albus took the pin and then stared at her. “Why?”

“Because I took something from you, and I feel guilty. I hate feeling guilty, so here you go. The energy takes a day to build again after each use.”

He stared at it and then quickly left the ward without even a farewell. Harry watched him leave and then blinked in surprise when Death appeared. He sat down next to her and looked vaguely ashamed.

“Talking to me now?”

He looked at her with no emotion. “Yes. I apologize for pulling away from you. I didn’t realize how much it would affect us both.” He looked away and studied the tiles on the floor. “Harriet…I am sorry for hurting you. You’re a truly remarkable girl.”

“Why were you so hurt when I said that I wanted to die of old age?”

“Because you’re essentially saying you do not care to stay by my side forever. The realization that my world would go back to being black and grey and dull without color or laughter or you…”

“I would be a spirit.” Harry arched an eyebrow and straightened up in her bed. “I don’t really understand what got your scythe in a twist.” He flicked her a look for being irreverent. Harry ignored it. 

Huffing, Death shook his head. “Becoming a spirit changes you. You lose sight of the world of the living. You must have noticed how altered your parents are from what you heard from others. They are a bit more distant, more detached from the world of the living. They still have their personalities, but they are…faded.” Harry bit her lip and nodded slowly. Death sighed and looked at her sadly. “I would not want you to become a spirit. I have known you for ten years. I do not care for the idea of seeing you die. However, no one else but I would collect your soul should you choose to give it up.” He looked away. “Your presence has altered my own existence. My home will seem empty and hollow for centuries after, perhaps even forever.”

Gazing at him in confused sadness, Harry reached out and grabbed his hand. “Death, just because I’m thinking of leaving the world of the living eventually does not mean you should mourn me presently. I will live until Grindelwald is gone. And when my last friend dies, I will give up my soul and greet you like an old friend.” She smiled at him kindly, squeezing his hand. Death chuckled. 

“You and your ancestor before you…both you and he…are identical,” Harry smirked and gave him a hug.

“I missed you. Did you ignore me completely or did you keep an eye no me?” She had seen him around, but she didn't know how much he had missed.

“I have not left the Underworld since our last conversation except for short visits of a few minutes.” Harry nodded and filled him in on everything. He listened carefully and asked questions until he knew everything Harry knew.

“So, do you know why Parkinson was wandering around? Have you spoken to Tom yet?”

“No.” Harry shook her head with a frown. “Not yet. I just escaped Filch and then had my emotional breakdown.” She frowned deeper. “That wasn’t like me.”

“You shoved everything you’ve gone through deep down. It was bound to come up violently sooner or later. Be thankful that it happened in a secure environment, and now you only know everything. Your friends think you was simply exhausted. Your headmaster suspects you took memories about you but doesn’t know what or why. Speaking of Dumbledore, he has just finished mending things with his sister. She has forgiven him.” Death smiled at her. “You did well, sharing your power.”

Harry shrugged and played with her bedsheet. “It wasn't kindness. I wanted to distract him.”

Cocking his head, Death lifted a blond eyebrow and smirked at her knowingly. “Of course.”

“Oh shut up!”

He chuckled and stood up. “I am glad that we have mended things between us as well. But I still do not want you to stop living.” Harry stared into his eyes. “Ever.”

Smiling at him sweetly, Harry tilted her head and looked up at him. “Alright Death. I’ll think about it.”

Death gave her an amused look and then nodded, slipping open the veil. “Rest, Harriet. I will tell Dahlia, Grell, and Jingle that you are well.”

Dahlia was her spirit friend, and Jingle was her animated skeletal dog. Grell, of course, was her Reaper friend. Harry laughed and nodded. “Thanks!”

He vanished, leaving her alone with her thoughts. 

Harry frowned and thought about everything, checking things off in her mind.  _ Dragon fixed? Check. Tom and Hermione’s memories altered? Check. Dumbledore and Pomfrey’s memories altered? Check. Death and me mended? Check. Pansy dealt with? Not yet. Snape investigated? Not yet. Sirius freed? Not yet. Wormtail discovered? Not yet _ .

Harry pursed her lips and thought about it. Dementors didn’t frighten her. They actually liked her. She played with them when she was a little girl and enjoyed talking to them in the Language of the Dead as she got older. 

Grinning, Harry decided that it was time to visit Azkaban and her godfather. If she requested the Dementors to leave him alone, then he should be much better.

Standing up, Harry looked at the potions that Pomfrey wanted her to take. She snorted and dumped them down the sink. Then, she pulled out her wand and traveled through the shadows via the Underworld- she stopped at Death’s home to grab some of her clothes-, arriving straight to Azkaban.

_ “Thilokish!”  _ The Dementor in charge of the rest flew straight over to her. Harry smiled at him. 

_ “Apprentice of Death, what may we do for you?” _

_ “Take me to my godfather. Sirius Black.” _ They swirled around her and picked her up, taking her to the cell he was in. Harry nodded to them.  _ “Leave me alone with him and keep others from entering until I alert you that you can. Can you do that for me, Thilokish?” _

_ “As you request, it will be.”  _ They flew away fast. 

Harry smiled and looked at the dog asleep in his cell. “Being an animagus must be truly helpful.”

He jumped and shifted fast, staring at her with shock. “Who?!”

“My name is Harriet Lilith Potter. My mother was Lily Evans Potter. My father was James Charles Potter.” Harry didn’t get anything else out. He gave a cry and jumped up and hugged her. 

“What are you doing here? What are you doing here? They’d never let you come! Not so young! So young! Harriet. Harriet. Harriet!” He was jittery and shaking. 

Harry frowned at him and waved her African Rosewood wand. Cleaning up his cell and him, trimming his hair and nails and mending his clothes. She fixed his eyesight as well. Looking him over, Harry scanned his soul and realized that he had been greatly damaged. She inhaled and then exhaled and placed her hand on his chest. Sirius went still as she stitched his soul and mind back together. She fixed him and placed hope inside him, the will to live on, the urge and desire to get well, the drive to be happy and whole and healthy again.

When she backed away, his eyes were no longer glazed or unfocused. He looked at her with awe. “You…you just  _ healed _ me.”

Harry grinned. “Come on and sit down. I have quite a lot to tell you. It’ll probably take hours.”

She told him everything that happened after he was arrested and taken to prison. She told him about where she lived and who she lived with and how she lived. She told him about Death and learning Necromancy and how it was so much different from what the Ministry claimed. She told him how Peter Pettigrew was still alive but in hiding.

“I don’t know where he is, but he’s in hiding, and Grindelwald is becoming active again. I need you. I need to have a safe home. I need you to be free and to blood adopt me.” Harry stared at Sirius earnestly. “I know I’m laying a lot on you right now, but I need you, Sirius. I need you so badly. When Death told me that you were innocent and suffering because of the morons in the Ministry, I couldn’t believe it. I wanted to hurt someone!”

Sirius stared at her and then pulled her into an embrace. “I’ll be there. I promise. But where will we look?”

Harry smirked. “I want you to draw a sketch for me. I need to know what Wormtail looks like. He most likely has stayed in his rat form. If we know what he looks like in both forms it might be easier. I have a feeling he wasn’t smart or brave enough to leave the country. Right?”

Sirius sneered. “Right. Completely right. He was the most cowardly bastard I ever met. Did you find out why he betrayed them?”

Sighing, Harry told him quietly. “A few hundred galleons.” Sirius closed his eyes and tried to breathe through his rage. 

“I’m going to murder him.”

“No, you won’t. Not until he’s been prosecuted for his crimes and you’ve been completely set free.” She stared at him intently. “Trust me, Sirius. Because of my apprenticeship with Death, the Dementors will follow me and obey me. They won’t harm you. They’ll leave you alone.” She conjured five thick blankets and sweaters. “Here. Now you won’t be cold. Also,” she grinned at him and then conjured something else, “ring this bell whenever you want service.” She rang the silver bell and boom a house elf appeared. Except the House Elf was dead.

“Harold, this is Sirius Black. You will be serving him from now on. I pass my ownership over you to him. Do as he desires. Do you understand?”

Harold bowed. Harry grinned at a shocked Sirius. “He can’t speak since his tongue has decayed, but he has access to human food for you. He can understand everything you say and will do everything in his considerable power to see it done. If you want a meal, then just order it, and he’ll have it made in no time. Anything you want? Might want to start light because you look like your stomach hasn’t been awake for years.”

It took Sirius some time to comprehend the abrupt change his life was taking. “Urm…chicken soup with noodles in it. Saltine crackers and…a huge jug of cooled water, and all the necessary utensils.” The House Elf didn’t crack like others his kind did. He simply grew darker and vanished.

“That’s traveling through shadows. The dead can’t apparate.” Harry leaned against her godfather. “I’m afraid you’ll have to stay here for a little longer until I can sort everything out. My friend, Tom, has a snake, who can sniff out rats and such. I’m sure she’ll be able to find Wormtail if he’s anywhere nearby.” 

Sirius smirked. “Tell her that she’s free to eat him when I’m done using him to get free.” Harry laughed lightly and then kissed his newly shaved cheek. 

“Alright then.” The elf appeared again and handed a large silver platter of delicious smelling food to Sirius. “Eat slowly, Sirius. Don’t want that to come back up.”

He nodded and then began eating while Harry told him stories about her childhood. She stayed for hours more until Death alerted her that Madam Pomfrey was going to visit her to check in. 

“I have to leave. Because of those attempts on my life, people check in on me every few hours. I’ll see you again, Sirius.” She kissed him and hugged him. “I promise!” With a grin, she dissolved into shadow. 

The only thing that showed Sirius it wasn’t all a dream was the platter of food in his lap and the silent undead House Elf standing at attention in the corner of his cell.

He allowed himself to smile in relief, allowed himself to hope that maybe his life was going to turn around.

~meanwhile~

Harry arrived just when Pomfrey opened the door and let a sullen Tom in. He dropped off her homework and then crashed onto her bed beside her. “What’s the matter, Cheerful?” She smirked at him and handed him her cup of Jell-O. 

He took it and began eating. Tom had a sweet tooth like nobody’s business. “Just have detention tomorrow.” He kicked at the bed. “I followed Pansy out, trying to keep her from ratting on you. McGonagall caught us both! The bitch! Pansy, not McGonagall.” He added when Harry made an affronted sound. She  _ liked  _ McGonagall. Harry snorted and continued eating her food. 

“Just detention?”

“No. Filch caught Longbottom too. All three of us were taken to Dumbledore’s office. And each of us lost fifty points. Gryffindor is in the last place because of how badly they’re doing in Quidditch apparently, and Slytherin is now in third place with Ravenclaw in the lead, and Hufflepuff, for the first time in forever, is in second.” Tom sneered.

Harry looked at Tom in worry. “Has this hurt your chances of-”

“No. Pansy got the rap. Draco spun it perfectly while I was with you in medical. All the students think I was trying to save the House and bring her back without being caught.” He shrugged. “Which is actually true.”

“What’s your detention? Trophies?”

“No. Someone’s been messing around in the forest, and we’re going with Hagrid to investigate it. At least, that’s what Ron found out when he was talking to Hagrid about nearly getting you and Hermione in trouble with that thrice damned dragon. How did you escape Filch, by the way?” He stared at her intently. Harry sighed.

“Not like that. Hermione doesn’t know everything, Tom.” She gave him a hurt look. “Thanks for trusting me.” She pitched her words with just enough bitterness.

“No, Harry! I didn’t mean- ugh. Sorry.” He snuggled against her, pressing his shoulder into hers. “Sorry. I just…I know how addicting it can get.” He rested his head on her shoulder and sighed. “It’s not that I don’t  _ trust _ you…”

Harry nodded slowly. “I understand. Anyways, my father had an invisibility cloak that he gave me via Dumbledore. His will demanded it. I got it this Christmas. I wanted to show you the same day that I show you that mirror, but I couldn’t find you afterward. After that, I just forgot with everything going on.”

“I went back to that mirror.” Tom forgot about not telling her. “Ran into Dumbledore.” He waved off her exclamation. “No. He didn’t report me, just warned me not to go looking for it again. Anyways, so you had the cloak, and he walked right passed you?” Tom snorted. “Nice.”

Harry hummed and pushed her food aside and snuggled firmly into him. “Sleepy.”

“I’m not a pillow.”

“Now you are.”

He huffed a laugh but didn’t move away, instead, he dropped his arm around her shoulders and let her sleep on him. Eventually, he drifted off too.


	14. Blood of a Unicorn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom finds that he's still very inexperienced in some things, but Harry is on the edge of discovering Pettigrew. ; D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Thanksgiving to all those who practice the holiday!! : D

Tom tensed when he was nudged awake. He looked up at Madam Pomfrey. She waved him out of the ward. Sighing, he managed to extricate himself out of Harry’s embrace and slipped an extra pillow in his place. Then, conjuring a quill and a piece of parchment, he wrote how he had been kicked out, and he would see her later.

All the Slytherins were pushing Pansy into the ‘dog house’. They treated Tom like a martyr. It was irritating, but at least he wasn’t being taunted like Neville was in the Gryffindor group. The next day, Hermione was telling him how horrible it was. They weren’t doing well in the first place, but now they had lost fifty points. The only consolation was that Slytherin wasn’t winning either.

“If you were in the lead, then Neville would have probably been lynched. I feel so sorry for him!”

“Why? No one pushed him out of bed at wand point.” Tom gave her a look. “He and I left for the very same reason. We heard Pansy was up to something and tried to head it off. We both got burned. You don’t see me cringing and crying about it. It happened. It’s done.” 

He glared at an older Slytherin student harshly when they didn’t move out of his way. He may have been just a first year, but he was gaining momentum in his conquest of the house. The current leader- Marcus Flint- was the one trying to push everyone to blame him for the hundred point loss.

The younger years, first, second, and third were slowly going over to Tom’s side. The older ones, fifth, sixth, and seventh were on the current leader’s side. The four years were split right down the middle.

Tom sent a particularly nasty stinging hex at the Slytherin as he passed, but the boy couldn’t complain, because the stinging hex was right on his crotch and that was just embarrassing.

Hermione looked at the older student in alarm when he howled and crumpled to the floor. Tom merely smiled, letting all the students know he had done something. The Slytherins, both old and young, parted for them to get through. 

“As I was saying, whining about it won’t solve anything. See you around, Granger.” They parted ways once they arrived at breakfast in the Great Hall. Harry was missed by the Gryffindors. Hermione sat beside Neville and comforted him. 

The poor boy was being treated so unfairly by his fellows.

Tom, meanwhile, stared Marcus Flint down, daring him to start something. The boy knew that while Tom was only a first year, he was actually more powerful and more talented in magic than he was. It burned him.

The doors opened again and in rushed Harriet. She waved at the Gryffindors and then moved over to Tom and whispered something into his ear. He nodded to her and then she hurried over to her table, a grin on her face. 

Tom pulled his snake up and muttered something to her in that snake language of his, and the snake slithered off to who knows where.

Hermione watched and then turned to Harry. “What was all that about?”

“Nothing. Just looking for someone that Nagini can find faster than I can.” Harry grinned darkly and pulled out a parchment. “This is what Wormtail looks like.”

Hermione frowned at the picture of the rat. “I could have sworn I’d seen this animal someplace before…” She looked at Harry. “Can I keep this?”

“Make a copy of it. I’m giving this one to Tom so he can keep an eye out.”

“What makes this so important?”

“He’s the one who actually betrayed my family. If he’s caught then my godfather can be freed. My godfather, Sirius Black, was framed, Hermione.” Harry suddenly remembered that she had taken this memory from Hermione, so she quickly filled her in. Ron and Neville listened intently to what she had to say. 

The Gryffindors saw how Harry was treating Neville and automatically began to soften towards him. Harry smiled so sweetly at them all and somehow bewitched them in that way of hers. She could charm a manticore into becoming a vegetarian.

Watching, Draco snorted and brought it to Tom’s attention. “And just like that, she swayed the entire house back onto Neville’s side. It’s amazing. How is she able to do it?!”

Blaise chuckled quietly. “That girl could charm a basilisk to give up its fangs. She’s almost like what the romantics would think a gypsy is like. Wild, carefree, enchanting, and powerful.” Draco nodded before going back to his juice. 

Hearing the slight thread of wistfulness in Zabini’s tone, Tom studied his companion hard before realizing that he had a growing problem on his hands. He switched his gaze to Draco and then to Harry. Tom looked at her poise and grace and smiling face, and he knew that someday soon she would grow into a beautiful woman. Tom wasn’t a common boy who ‘ewwed’ at the idea of love. He didn’t think love all that important, but he did acknowledge it was a force to be reckoned with. 

Hands clenching, he gritted his teeth and began plotting on how he could stop boys from courting Harry. He wouldn’t tolerate her attention leaving him. She was his only friend. His only partner and equal. He wouldn’t allow her to give her love to just anyone. No. He couldn’t let that happen. Boys would fall in line and all over themselves for her, he was sure of that, but he had to make sure it didn’t happen.

_ I can control the Slytherin House alright, but it’s the other houses that’ll give me trouble, especially the Gryffindor House. They’re closest to Harry. Maybe I can enlist Ron and Hermione. Maybe not Hermione. She seems to be a romantic, and I can’t stand her in the best of times. Ron is more naive. I can manipulate him easier. He’ll help me. Malfoy and Zabini will help, but I can’t trust them alone with Harry. Malfoy is already interested. Zabini is right behind him. Shit. Harriet Potter, why the hell do you have to be so pretty?! _

Suddenly the perfect plan came to him. The only way to keep all the boys away from Harry was to make sure she wasn’t available. Tom looked swiftly around the Great Hall and wondered who would be worthy of her. Someone he could trust. Someone he could tolerate. Someone he could control as well.

Tom blinked. _Me._ _I’m the only one._ Staring over at the girl in question, Tom worried the inside of his cheek slightly. _I’ll have to win Harry over. Somehow I get the feeling that she wouldn’t think my reasons are sound. She might even get angry. Her reactions are so unpredictable. I’ll have to woo her as they say. _He stifled a groan. _This is so tedious. Why couldn’t she simply be powerful but ugly?_ He grimaced at the thought of Harry being ugly. Somehow he couldn’t stomach the idea.

~the next day, Sunday 11:00 AM~

Harry climbed the bleachers outside and watched the Gryffindor team practice. They were very good, but their Seeker was abysmal. Harry winced when he missed an obvious shot. 

After the dejected team finished practice, Harry moved over to the twins. “Could I borrow one of your brooms and just fly a little in the pitch. I really want to fly again.”

They nodded, and Fred handed his over. Harry grinned at him. “Thanks!”

She jumped up into the air and soared with a laugh. Little did Harry know but Professor McGonagall- who had been overseeing the practice- and Wood and the rest of the team were staring at her in shock.

“Hey, Potter!” Harry turned and looked. Wood waved a gold ball in his hand. “Catch!”

He threw it as hard and far as he could. Harry watched it soar and then zoomed after it. She tilted her broom downward and reached out her hand and snatched it up before pulling up barely six inches from the ground. 

When she landed and handed the ball back to Wood, he turned and went down on his knees to McGonagall. “Please! Please Professor! Please! PLEASE!”

“Alright! I’ll speak to Headmaster Dumbledore.” She smiled at Harry. “And I’ll order a broom.” Wood turned around a hugged Harry hard and fast. 

“YOU’VE SAVED ME!” He turned to the boy who had been Seeker. “Thanks, Jerry, but we're square here.” Jerry Wood gave a groan of relief.

“Thank Merlin. I hate Quidditch!” He turned and walked off. Harry blinked. 

“Sorry, what?”

Fred and George grinned. “Wasn’t it obvious? You are the new Gryffindor Quidditch Seeker! You get to play for our last two games! If we win both at high scores, then we get the house cup!”

Harry stared at them in a sort of daze. “I’m a Seeker now?” They nodded smugly. She laughed in delight. “Great! How do you play?” Wood blinked and then quickly went over the rules and different balls. 

“You guys go on ahead. I’ll train with Harry for a little while, just to help her get used to everything. But keep this a secret. We’re playing Slytherin next, and I don’t want Flint getting wind of this.” Everyone nodded and went off their different directions. Harry stayed behind and listened intently to what Wood was saying. 

When she returned to her dorm room, she wrote a letter to Sirius.

_ ‘Dear Sirius, _

_ You’re not going to believe this, but halfway through the school year, I’ve become Gryffindor’s Seeker! I’m really excited! To think that I can do something with other people in a club! I never thought I’d be good at anything that wasn’t magic related! It’s amazing!  _

_ Do you enjoy flying? I’ve spoken to my father’s spirit many times, and he once said that he enjoyed flying too. I think that’s where I got my love and talent from, but I’m not sure.  _

_ Do you know how I can get in contact with Remus Lupin? Besides giving the man a good kick in the trousers for not visiting me or having anything to do with me, I also want to get to know one of my father’s close friends, and I want to get him to help us in freeing you.  _

_ Speaking of which, I still haven’t located Wormtail, but it’s only a matter of time until I do. If he’s anywhere near this area, then he’ll be found. And if he’s hiding in the sewers of Diagon Alley I’ll find him eventually. I’m thinking of ways that we could possibly free you or get you an appeal without the rat. So far, the Ministry is sitting on your case with their overly fat arses, not wanting to budge. I have never seen so much corruption. It’s sickening! _

_ I hate to say it, but Grindelwald was right about that one bit. The Ministry does need a renovation. Most of the officials in it are only there because of nepotism. It’s disgusting.  _

_ Anyway, I hope you’re getting stronger and healthier with Harold feeding you and the Dementors staying away. If you think it’s safe for me to visit again, then I’ll gladly do so. I can even take you out of prison for a short while and have you feel the breeze again! Between guard rotations, I’m sure we could manage it.  _

_ Write again soon, _

_ Harriet’ _

She folded it and then called for Harold. He appeared. Harry smiled. “Give this to my godfather.” The elf bowed and vanished. 

She smiled slightly and then jumped when Hermione barged in. “Harry! Ron ran into Tom who wanted to tell you but hasn’t gotten the chance! Last night during their detention, Tom and Pansy saw someone drinking the blood of a unicorn in the woods! Do you think it’s Grindelwald?!”

Harry frowned. “That…wouldn’t work to get his magic back. It’s supposed to increase your power that you already have. Besides, according to our potions book-”

“Drinking the blood of a unicorn is extremely taboo and the cons outweigh the pros. Only the truly desperate do it.” Hermione nodded. “Tom and Pansy were rescued from being attacked by that person by a centaur.”

Standing up, Harry moved swiftly towards the door. “I think I need to hear this story straight from the snake’s mouth.” She gave her friend a mischievous smile. Hermione snorted and followed her out. They found Tom nursing a cup of hot chocolate in a corner of the kitchen. He barely looked up when they came up to him. 

“Did you know that chocolate has medicinal qualities?” He chuckled humorlessly. “Sad thing is, most of the time people don’t survive the scare to drink it.” He looked at them. “My first combat experience and I utterly failed. All the spells I knew vanished from my mind. I could have used a plethora of ways to escape and yet I failed. I failed because of  _ fear _ .” He sneered the last word.

Harry sat down across from him and studied him. “Do you honestly think you should be beating yourself up about this? So this was the first time you fought for you life instead of watching others fight for theirs. So what?” Tom blinked at the blatant reference to his past of tormenting his fellows. Smiling, Harry leaned closer over the table and folded her hands together. “What I know you’re really thinking about is who that person was under his hood.”

Rolling his eyes, Tom snorted. “That’s Quirrell. Obviously. Nagini was with me. Said he smelled like the Stuttering One.”

Harry looked at Hermione and then smiled. “That’s why. It isn’t Snape after all. It’s been Quirrell all along.” That caught their attention. Tom frowned. 

“What the devil do you mean?”

“Hermione said that drinking unicorn’s blood makes a person’s connection to their  _ already present  _ magic strong. Grindelwald would gain nothing from doing such a risky thing, however he might order a person, or said person might be desperate enough to live, to drink it if their magic and life energy were failing. Quirrell is dying. It’s obvious.” She grabbed the attention of a passing House Elf. “Could I have a hot chocolate?” The elf grinned and nodded. “Thank you!” Harry called after as he rushed away. 

“So Quirrell is drinking the unicorn blood to strengthen himself and aid Grindelwald.”

“Harry, how could Snape no longer be apart of this?” Hermione had also sat down next to them. Tom flicked her an irritated look. 

_ He’s been doing that a lot,  _ Harry thought to herself.

“Obviously because if Quirrell is strengthening his magic, then he’s the one who’s been trying to kill her with magic.”

Hermione shook her head. “He’s strengthening his magic  _ now _ . What happened to Harry was months before the first unicorn was killed  _ and _ Quirrell had been in a meeting that Snape had missed when this had happened.”

Tom hadn’t known about the meeting. “What meeting?!” Harry looked at Hermione in confusion. 

“Yes, Hermione. Do tell.” She smiled in amusement. “I don’t know about this meeting either.”

Flushing, Hermione coughed and looked around. “Well, I wanted to buy another book at Diagon Alley, and I went through the inn to get to the wall like always. As I was walking through, I saw Professor Flitwick pass me and go to the door that had obviously been silenced. When he opened it, I saw all the teachers there, sitting around a huge table. However, Snape wasn’t there.”

“Might have stepped out,” Tom muttered. Hermione gave him a look.

“Are you constantly going to-”

“Defend my Head of House? Yes.” He smirked at her as she flushed. “It’s called House loyalty, Hermione. Might try it sometime.” He looked over in surprise when Harry gave him an ever so slight disapproving frown. 

Harry cleared her throat and spoke up. “What time exactly was this?”

“Thirty minutes past one in the afternoon.” Hermione took the hot chocolate from the elf with a smile and then gave it to Harry. Harry accepted. 

“My attack was at two. With apparating, it could have been managed by anyone.”

“Apparating which you  _ still _ haven’t taught me.” Tom gave her a hard look. Harry rolled her eyes.

“Oh fine. There are three steps to it. First, have a location clear in your mind. Second, imagine yourself being there. Third, step forward with the clear and strong intention of getting to that place. If you don’t do that, if you have a muddy idea of where you want to go, then you’ll splinch yourself, that is, cut yourself to pieces. Apparating is basically breaking your body down at its atomic level and then recreating it in another location. So, obviously you’ll be a bit mixed up if you do it wrong.” Tom blinked and then nodded. 

“Okay then.”

“And please forgive me for not teaching you before. I guess I just plain forgot it with how my life is so boring and dull.” Harry rolled her eyes and then turned back to Hermione. 

Tom’s anger at Granger spiked for being the cause of Harry taking her focus off of him. 

“Anyways, Hermione, I still don’t think it was Snape. Doing all this, isn’t his style, besides if they were working together, Quirrell wouldn’t need to go so drastic with his magic.” Tom smirked and nodded.

“There are potions that Snape could use to boost it. This, plus the whole fighting thing, prove that Snape isn’t in league with Grindelwald.” Hermione sighed and had to give in.

“Fine. Fine. So Quirrell drinks blood to get stronger while helping Grindelwald steal the stone to help him get his magic. And Dumbledore’s still around so we don’t have to worry about anything?”

Harry nodded. “Pretty much. I think there has been enough sneaking around, don’t you?”

Tom gave a scoffing laugh, downed the rest of his drink, and then nodded to the girls as he walked out. Harry pursed her lips. Shrugging, she finished her drink too and then left with Hermione. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the comments! They are very much appreciated!  
Ink...


	15. The First Match

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry plays Quidditch and nearly dies. But she's had lots of practice with that. Everything should be fine, yeah?

“Is he still giving you trouble about your Necromancy?” Hermione looked around. They were alone. Harry sighed. 

“He was, but now he thinks I’ve stopped. Death grabbed the books he hid and brought them back to our- er his- world.” Harry looked away from Hermione’s piercing look. 

“Harry-”

“I’m fine.”

“You are  _ not _ fine. Harry, I never asked before, but those marks on your back…are they from…Death?”

Stopping, Harry went very still. “What?”

“Those marks. The long strips-”

“I know what you’re talking about. I’m still working on believing how a normally highly intelligent girl like yourself could be so stupid.” Harry turned and stared hard at Hermione. “Death did not touch me, has never touched me in any cruel or unwanted or abusive way. Or even sexual, if you must know. He is my foster father, my mentor, my teacher, my close friend, my companion, my equal, but I am not his lover, nor is he mine. He has not hurt me. Ever.” 

Harry knew what Hermione’s next question was going to be. 

“Then who-”

“No.”

“But-”

“No, Hermione. Leave. It.” Harry turned and walked away. “Leave it. I’ll tell you someday, but not now. You’re not ready for it.”

Hermione scoffed and then bit her lip. “Um…Harry, how does Soul Magic work? I’ve wanted to know for a while.”

Turning, Harry looked around and then spoke quickly. “The magic of every living being is in the soul, the core. That’s why wizards and witches claim that magical creatures do not deserve rights because they don’t have a soul, but that’s bull. Anyways, if you have access to the person’s soul, then you can see into their memories, their fears, aspirations. You can read their emotions and thoughts. You can learn what their magical signature is- a magical thumbprint different for every individual. You can find out their essence, their identity. You can make them without magic, or with.”

“That part,” Hermione cut in. “How about that part? How do you do it?”

Harry frowned at her in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“Well, do you have to have magic from a living source or a stored source or what?”

Smiling in understanding, Harry shrugged. “You can grab magic from anything, even the center of the Earth. The Earth’s core is a well of magic. That is where all the living creatures got their magic at the very beginning. Death told me that there was a spring of magical water that had minerals in it that came from the very center of the earth. The animals drank from it first and gained magic. They became phoenixes, thestrals, pegasi, dragons, etc. They drank from it and some gained speech while all gained greater intelligence. Then humans drank from it and gained magic. The first who drank was Merlin. He led a small party to it and shared it with them. It gradually grew until he had to hide it with the first unplottable spell. It’s still hidden.

“However, before he had done that, someone very similar to Grindelwald, wanted to explore magic further than it should have been taken. Morgana.” Hermione’s eyes widened. Harry nodded somberly. “She experimented with animals and humans. Transfigurations has a Darker side to it as well, Hermione. Mermaids, centaurs, fawns, house elves, even giants were twisted and created by Morgana by mixing several other species together to get a new one.” Hermione’s hands covered her mouth. She looked ill.

Sighing, Harry leaned against the stone wall. “Death was taken in by her thirst for knowledge and taught her Necromancy. Her power grew too great. Humans and wizards and witches couldn't contain her. She was the first Dark Necromancer, the first Dark Witch. He took her soul as recompense for abusing his gift of Death Magic.”

“Oh…then why did he teach you? If he hasn’t taught anyone else since her…”

Harry smiled grimly. “Because I am the direct descendant of his close former friend, Ignotus Peverell. Because of my lineage, he decided to give me a chance. I accepted his offer at age three and began my training.” Hermione blinked at her friend. She hadn’t realized just how young Harry had been when she started. 

“And you’re sure that Necromancy isn’t-”

“Hermione, look at me.” She spread her arms wide and showed herself off. “Do I look Dark, Evil, Twisted, and Monstrous? Do I look like an addict?”

Looking slightly small, Hermione shook her head slowly. “Sorry.”

Harry closed her eyes and exhaled. “It’s fine. You only care.” She opened her eyes again and stared at her friend. “Now why did you want to know?”

“Because I want you to give my parents magic.”

Harry reeled back and stared at her in shock. “What?!” She looked up and down the hall they were in. No one had looked her way because of her shout.

Hermione looked at her defensively. “I want them to know what I know for themselves, to do what I do! Is that a crime?!”

Biting her lip, Harry shook her head. “I’ve never done this before, Hermione. I might hurt them.”

“Then ask Death.”

Harry sighed. “He doesn’t agree with it. He thinks that if you are born with magic, then fine, but you shouldn’t transplant it. It goes against the natural order and decision of things. I tend to agree with him.”

“So you won’t?” Hermione crossed her arms.

Grabbing her friend’s shoulders, Harry tried to get her to understand. “Do they even want to?”

Hermione blinked and looked away. “I haven’t asked them yet.” 

“Ask them then. Ask them, and let them think it through carefully. It will be dangerous. It hasn’t been done often. Magic has only ever been taken away, not given. I don’t even know if they have to be prepared through a ritual to make sure their bodies are capable of holding magic without burning up or drying out.” Hermione gaped at her.

Harry laughed sadly. “It’s not a quick fix solution, Hermione. Soul Magic is hard and very dangerous.” Neither girl noticed Quirrell move swiftly away as they approached his hiding spot. 

Harry waved as Hermione ran up to the library to do some homework. Harry had done all hers yesterday when Tom had brought it. With a heavy sigh, she entered the Gryffindor Common Room. However, everyone- Ron included- jumped up and started applauding her. She frowned in complete confusion. 

“Sorry, what?”

Wood walked up to her. “You’re going to save Gryffindor! We might get that House cup yet!” Harry blinked when she realized that the Gryffindor House- some of the girls and practically all of the boys- were Quidditch fanatics. Interesting.

They cheered her like she had just defeated Grindelwald again. 

Harry was very bemused.

~the Quidditch match~

Harry took a deep breath as she walked out onto the Quidditch pitch with everyone else. When Lee Jordan announced Harriet Potter as the new Seeker, the Slytherins were up in arms, but no one could do anything. Swapping out Seekers wasn’t actually against the rules. 

As she kicked off with everyone, soaring higher than the others, Harry felt that euphoric feeling. Smiling, she looked around and watched the game. Lee was doing something- Harry couldn’t quite hear- that made Professor McGonagall mad.

Many times, she saw something gold, but it wasn’t the Snitch. 

" How utterly boring this all is. Why do you stand for it?"

Jumping slightly at having Death suddenly speak to her and floating to her left, Harry felt her lips curl into a smile.  _ ‘Just because you don’t understand something doesn’t mean it’s horrible or boring for others.’ _

"Yes, others who are not you. Honestly Harriet, why do you insist upon wasting-"

‘ _ It is my only chance at flying. I will take it.’ _ Harry saw the Snitch and dove for it. 

" WATCH OUT!"

Swerving too late, Harry was slammed into by Marcus Flint. He grinned at her, flashing a glimpse of his crooked teeth.

" I’m going to collect his soul, hang his moment of death! I’m going to collect that disgusting, loathsome, irritating ANT of a human’s soul!"

Harry ignored Death’s tirade and everyone else’s and searched vainly for the Snitch. It was gone, lost in the shuffle. She suddenly felt a chill that didn’t belong to Death. Turning her head, she craned to see Tom. He was studying Flint with a soft smile on his face. Harry swallowed thickly. That wasn’t good. 

She pulled her broom back up high and then faltered when it jerked. It didn’t stop.

_ ‘Death?!’ _

"Someone is jinxing your broom. My money is on Quirrell. I can’t stop him."

_ 'If I fall and survive, then everyone will know!’ _

"Then don’t fall."

_ ‘Very helpful!’ _

Harry clung to the broom and nearly bit off her tongue. She gave a scream when she nearly fell off. The scream was what caused everyone to notice her. People were shouting and standing on their feet. The Weasley Twins were flying up to her but every time they came close the broom went higher. 

Fred and George started circling around below her to catch her when, if, she fell.

Harry was holding onto the broom, upside down with her arms and legs when suddenly it stopped. She twisted back onto the broom properly and got it under control. However, while she was gaining control, she saw the Snitch and dove for it. She didn’t stop and opened her mouth to cheer when her hand missed it, and her mouth caught it.

Spitting it out fast, Harry thrust the Snitch into the air and shouted, “I CAUGHT THE SNITCH!” Her teeth hurt, but at least the game was won.

The Gryffindors were on their feet, screaming and cheering. Harry was being carried by everyone.

When Harry finally managed to get herself away from the celebrating lions, she pulled Hermione and Ron away into the corridor outside of the tower. 

“Quirrell?”

Hermione smirked. “I set his robes on fire.”

Death regarded Hermione for a long moment before smiling. "I like her."

Breaking into laughter, Harry saw Tom rushing towards her from the corner of her eye. She stopped laughing when he grabbed her by her shoulders and simply pulled her into an embrace. 

“You are never going to fly again!”

“Don’t be like that, Tom. It was Quirrell, and Hermione took care of him. I’m well. I’m alive. I’m surviving. Now, we have one more match before finals, and then summer.” He pulled away and snorted.

“Wood will just have to find another Seeker. I won’t-” Self-preservation stopped him from continuing. Harry smiled at him as a stranger would.

“Have a good day, Tom.” She went back inside. Tom gritted his teeth. 

“What’s up with her?”

“You’re stifling her, mate.” Ron looked at him hard. “She was complaining about it earlier. Didn’t say what about, but she said you were watching her and always checking on her. Said you weren’t as fun or nice to hang out with anymore.” Ron knew he had to play dumb about the Necromancy shit, but he still could warn Tom. “Look Tom, I don’t know you well, but I heard from my mum that you’re coming to my home for the summer as a trial. So, I gotta warn you, the tighter you hold onto something, the faster it usually slips away. Harry is no different.”

Tom knew that Ron was actually right. He let out a tired breath. “You would understand if you knew.”

Shrugging, Ron made a face. “Maybe I would. Maybe I wouldn’t. I don’t know, but I do know that you have to change how you're treating Harry. If you’re trying to help her, then don’t push her away by constricting her. You can show you care differently, just figure something out.” He smiled at Tom and then left with a silent Hermione. Tom stood in the hallway and then groaned before leaving back for the dungeons.

~some time after the match with Hufflepuff~

Tom watched Harry being cheered off the pitch once again. Something twisted inside him as he watched her being manhandled by the Weasley twins. 

Standing up, he turned to go, but-

“TOM!”

Turning in surprise, he saw the unpredictable girl launched herself at him with a laugh. He barely stopped them from falling ungracefully onto the ground. Harry hugged him tight and whispered, “Since Slytherin can’t win, Gryffindor might as well. We’ve surpassed Ravenclaw, Tom!” 

She beamed at him, hair in her face, wild eyes with a glint of mischief. Tom stared at her, a silly smile on his own face, because he suddenly wasn’t able to control his facial muscles around her. She was pulled away and swept up to her high tower with her housemates.

Tom stared at her before realizing that people will see him soon. He quickly arranged his face to be more presentable. But still…he watched Harriet Potter go into the castle. 

_ It has to be me! I’m the only one who deserves her! _

~during finals~

Harry was hard pressed to ignore Death muttering into her ear the answers for her tests.

_ ‘Leave me alone, Death! Honestly! I want to get these grades my own way!’ _

"I have to stay with you."

_ ‘Why?!’ _

"Because spending time with my apprentice was my excuse to avoid meeting with Hades. If I’m seen someplace else…"

She snickered and kept on writing her answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are appreciated and thank you all who have left comments. They really brighten my day!  
Ink...


	16. A Turn for the Worse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Through the rooms and into trouble. Oh, and Harry has to make a tough decision that might plunge the known world into war.   
No pressure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last chapter of this book and then comes the next book! Yay! Apprentice of Death: Book 2 is ready for tomorrow! It'll be on the same series thread. ; D

~after the last final~

Tom exhaled as he wrote out the last ingredient to his potion. He got up and stretched and cracked his neck. Zabini and Malfoy walked up to him in the hallway.

“Got two others for you.” Tom lifted a slim eyebrow. 

“Oh?”

They jerked Daphne Greengrass and Theodore Lestrange- son of Bellatrix and Rudolphus Lestrange- over to face Tom. 

Blaise kept an eye out, but the hallway they were in was rarely used. Tom always used it in the dungeons to avoid being seen. 

“We- we pledge ourselves to the greatest of our year.” Theodore swallowed tightly. 

“Kneel then and tell me what you’re willing to give me.” Tom smiled, showing a hint of teeth.

Daphne knelt first. “I give you my beauty, my intelligence, and my determination.” She stared at Tom. “In exchange for helping you achieve whatever you want, I want connections to help my family gain prestige.”

“Done.”

She stood and smiled, nodding her head. 

Turning to Theodore, Tom raised an eyebrow. Theo swallowed and knelt. 

“I give you my allowance, my family connections for information, and my will to survive. In exchange for helping you, I want my father dead.” Everyone around Tom and Theo jerked in surprise. Draco moved to give the boy a reprimand, but Tom raised his hand quickly.

“Don’t judge Draco. I’m sure you’ve felt that way about your father every time he crucioed you as punishment.”

Draco stared at him in complete shock. “How did you-?!”

“Nevermind that.” Tom had looked into Legilimency and had found that he was a natural. Harry had taught him the basics in both mental fields and then let him do his own research. Tom stared at Theo and smiled. “I agree with your terms.” He looked to Daphne and said the same thing. They straightened and fell in step with Draco and Blaise, just a little behind the two boys. Tom was at the head and middle. 

They had just gone up to have some snacks in the Great Hall when they saw Harry and her two companions moving quickly past. They caught snippets of the conversation.  _ Quirrell. Dumbledore. Ministry. Stone. _

The last word caught Tom’s attention. Draco looked at Tom for the go ahead, but he shook his head. “No. I’ll speak with…” Trailing off, he watched Snape talk to his Harry with a small twisted smile. He frowned darkly. “Now what does he want?”

Harry and her two friends turned and quickly went outside. She hadn’t noticed him once in the entire time. 

Tom didn’t catch Harry for the rest of the evening. She looked worried and nervous, but she was never alone or even able to be seen after dinner. Gritting his teeth, Tom sighed and decided to simply talk to her the next morning.

~meanwhile~

After soothing Fluffy, Harry, Hermione, and Ron slipped through the trap and immediately got ensnared by Devil’s Snare

After being reminded that she (Hermione) was a witch who could wave her wand to make fire, they were freed.

Ron looked around. “Tell me again why we didn’t bring Tom along?”

Rolling her eyes, Harry snorted. “He’s getting too attached to me. It’s impossible for me to be involved with a person who cannot accept my companion, Death. Besides, I’m probably going to be using Necromancy tonight, so I’d rather not have him on my case.”

“True that.” Ron tutted. “And he who preaches about the sins of love.” He snickered.

Growing pensive, Hermione shook her head. “I don’t think he’s in love with Harry. He’s more obsessed with her than anything else. It’s unhealthy if you ask me.”

Suddenly reminded of something, Harry looked at her. “Hermione, did you do something to Tom on our first day here? He doesn’t seem to like you.” Harry pushed open the door tentatively and then stared up at the flying keys. “Gotta say, Flitwick’s got an imagination.”

“I don’t think I did anything to him. I think he hates the competition. You know how he gets when I answer a question faster than he does. It’s like every time he opens his flipping mouth he’s trying to one up me!” Hermione snorted and then looked at the keys in amusement. 

Ron snickered. “Of course, you don’t help matters, by answering all questions faster than he can, even jumping up and down to answer them. That would irritate anyone, I’m thinking.” Hermione flipped her hair in response and focused on the keys. 

“What do you think we should do with them?”

“Put them all in cages?” Ron blinked at the flock of keys. 

Harry looked around and then pointed at the door on the far side. “One of them fits in that I bet.”

“Up there! The one with the bent wing!” Hermione grinned. “It’s the oldest key and that’s an old door. I think it’s a good guess.”

Harry nodded and then grabbed a broom. “Well, here goes. Hope those keys don’t sprout teeth or something.” She motioned her friends to the far side. She couldn’t die, but she didn’t want them to get injured. 

Unfortunately, the keys did not all continue flapping peacefully around when she grabbed the oldest one. They started chasing her. Harry threw the key to Hermione who moved to unlock the door while Harry kept the other keys off of them. When the door was open, she shot through with them. Ron slammed the door after she got through. They heard the rat tat tat of all the keys hitting the door at the speed of bullets. Harry inhaled shakily and then gaped at the huge chessboard in the room they were now in.

Ron obviously was the one who took control of the situation. However, he had to make a sacrifice. Harry stared in horror as the chess piece broke his mount and smacked him across the room. ‘ _ Death?!’ _

Death appeared beside her, scythe in hand. "Calm yourself. He’s fine. Unconscious, but alive. I won’t be collecting anyone’s soul today…well, no one you care about."

She didn’t ask. “He’s okay, Hermione. We have to keep moving. He’s alive.” Hermione nodded shakily and they stepped through the door and immediately gagged. 

“Oh shit! Let’s move fast! He’s unconscious!” They hurried through the room that held the out cold troll. Hermione and she stepped over the threshold and fire, purple, sprang up behind them while black fire was on ahead. 

Harry exhaled. “At least we can’t smell that thing anymore.”

“Look!” Hermione picked up a paper and read it aloud. Harry cursed. 

“I stink at riddles.” She looked for Death again but frowned when he was gone. Clearly, he thought she could do this on her own. Grimacing, Harry knew she was going to have words with her mentor. 

“Well, let’s see, to go through the fire, we need to drink one of these potions. This riddle informs us what potion will protect us from what fire.” Hermione read it slowly again and then stated the answer.

Harry looked at the potion for the black fire. “It used to be full.” She stared at Hermione. “I can’t die-”

“No! I’ll go back and warn the others. This means that Grindelwald or Quirrell is in there! Since you can’t die you have a better chance at holding him off than anyone else. I’ll drink the potion for the purple fire. You go through the black fire with that small bottle.” Hermione looked scared out of her wits. Harry smiled and hugged her. 

“I can’t die, Hermione. Like I just said. Don’t worry about me. Go help Ron and get backup. I’ll be fine.” Hermione nodded slowly and then drank her potion and hurried through the fire. Harry drank hers and stepped through the black fire. 

What she saw made her heart sink. “Oh  _ shit _ .”

Quirrell was there, obviously. He was staring at the mirror, muttering to himself, but there were two others, one of whom she didn’t expect to see. 

“Tom?!”

He was staring at her with wide eyes. Grindelwald chuckled. “It was clear that you held him close to your heart. You had your other two friends constantly by your side. I could only grab him.”

“How?! You have no magic!” He raised an eyebrow at her.

“And how did you know that I have no magic?” Swallowing, Harry shot a look at Quirrell. Grindelwald chuckled. “The Stone is just for backup, in case my first plan does not succeed or has a hitch in it. Now, you were overheard having a discussion with your friend, Miss Granger, the Muggle Born. Quirrell heard you have mastery in Soul Magic.”

Harry gritted her teeth. “So what? What do you want?”

“Well, I want a great many things, but I think it’s only fair that you give me back what you stole.” He chuckled when her eyes widened. 

“Then you give me back my parents!”

“That’s impossible. You of all people know that you cannot bring back the dead. However, you _ can _ bring back magic.” He smiled at her knowingly. “Give me my magic. Wake it up. The Stone, once Quirrell finds it will strengthen it. Use your Death Magic, my dear and bring back what is mine.”

“Harry-” Tom was cut off by Grindelwald. Harry didn’t know what he was going to say. If he was begging her to save him or if he was telling her not to use Necromancy again.

Harry inhaled slowly and stared at the knife against Tom’s throat. Tom’s wand was in Quirrell’s pocket. She knew that what she was about to do was horrible for the entire Wizarding Community, but she always believed in cleaning up her messes. She would do the same in this one. 

Sinking herself into his soul, she saw everything, everything that made him Gellert Grindelwald. His hopes, fears, dreams, terrors, rages, and peace. His memories and thoughts. Everything.

Including his magic. She grabbed the small light and augmented it with her own magic, pushing and pulling and twisting the magic into a larger, blazing ball of fire. 

She heard him gasp. Harry knew it felt good when magic buzzed through your veins. Pulling back and out, she opened her eyes and stared at him. “Let Tom Riddle go.”

He laughed and nodded and then snapped his fingers and created fire in his hands. “Hello, my dear friend.”

Harry watched as he let Tom go and then with a snarl, she raised her shadows and lashed them at Quirrell. The man screamed as he was thrown across the room. Grindelwald watched her in avid interest before laughing and raising his own shadows.

“So you went and did the one thing no one dares to do? You became a Necromancer? Oh Harriet, how I wish we were on the same side!” His own tendrils of darkness tangled with hers and lunged at her.

Their fight was like two octopi with each tentacle holding a sword, and both of them were sword fighting. Tom stayed back, staring at them and then he saw Quirrell pulling out his wand and aiming at Harriet. He snarled and stood. He demanded his wand to come back to him, moving it with his mind as he had done before. 

Quirrell jerked in surprise when the wand sailed through the air and smacked firmly into Tom’s palm. 

“Imperio!” Tom ducked it and then dodged the Cruciatus Curse as well. However, when Quirrell showed that he was about to send the Killing Curse at Harry, Tom didn’t stay by the wayside. 

Tom glared at the man and shouted, “AVADA KEDAVRA!”

Flying backward, Quirrell fell dead. Harry gasped. “TOM?!”

Her distraction was nearly fatal. Tom jumped up. “Expulso!”

Grindelwald was flown backward by the explosion. Harry and Tom hid beside the mirror. Harry stared at the mirror and saw herself. 

Herself who was winking at her and putting her hand in her pocket. 

“HARRY!”

Tom yanked her to the side and narrowly avoided being decapitated by a shadow. “This is why I fucking hate Necromancy!”

Harry pulled up a shield. “Protego Maxima!” The shadows slammed against the barrier. Harry shoved her hand in her pocket and laughed as she pulled out the stone. “Dumbledore sure is a smart man.

The attacks stopped when Grindelwald saw the stone. He chuckled and stepped closer. “Two first years, no matter how amazingly knowledgeable or powerful you are, cannot stand long against me, even in my weakened state. Hand the stone over, Potter, and I’ll leave you alone.”

“If they cannot withstand you, then what about me?”

All three people in the room swiftly turned their heads and stared at Albus Dumbledore. Now Grindelwald actually looked nervous. In his peak of power, he was Albus’ equal. He was not at his peak.

Not yet.

“Ah.” Grindelwald chuckled and set his wand down, eyes glittering. “Very well, Albus. You know I do so hate public displays. You topped me this round.” Ignoring his words, Albus bound him, disarming Gellert with the Elder Wand. Grindelwald looked at the wand and smiled. “Have you done it?”

Blue eyes hardened. “No. The allure faded for me when I saw how much it corrupted  _ you _ . I simply own the wand.” Grindelwald looked surprisingly disappointed.

“A pity. I would have loved to rule this world with you by my side.”

Pretending the leering man didn’t exist, Albus looked over at the corpse of Quirrell and sighed. “Defense is open yet again.” Harry threw her head back and laughed. 

They left the room and climbed the stairway back up. The other teachers cleared Quirrell’s body away. Harry looked at Tom. “I won’t tell about the curse if you don’t tell about the shadows?”

“Deal.” He stared at her. “How are you feeling?”

“Tired, but alive.” She smiled at him with bright eyes. He swallowed. 

“Harriet, I thank you for saving my life, but you still need to stop-”

Grindelwald looked over at him. “You believe the rot that the Ministry is spouting?” He snorted. “You were such a smart lad too. Oh well. More’s the pity.” Harry shook her head and then reach forward for the water that Dumbledore offered. They were all in his office, waiting for the Ministry and the Aurors to arrive. Straightening, Grindelwald stared at her with wide eyes. “Interesting mark you have there, my dear.”

Albus looked and then sighed. “Because of you. It is not genuine.” Grindelwald blinked in surprise. Harry wanted to kill him. 

She wanted him dead. Wanted him dead so badly.

“Harry!”

Looking over, Tom grabbed her hand. “You started smoking!” His voice was in a low whisper. 

“Tom, we are sitting beside my parents’  _ killer _ ! I am  _ enraged. _ ” Tom looked at him and then pulled her to the farthest corner. The Aurors arrived. Grindelwald laughed. 

“Hello, my dear Minister Fudge.” He glanced at the shaking man’s generous waistline. “Hmm…living up to your name I see.” Albus personally escorted him and the Aurors and the Minister to Nurmengard. Harry watched them leave the castle. 

Suddenly, she shuddered and slipped into Tom’s arms. Burying her face into his shoulder and neck, she cried softly and sadly.

She brought back his magic. 

She aided the killer of her mother and father.

She watched Tom murder someone.

She fought with her magic for the first time in her life.

She and Tom nearly died at Grindelwald's hands, and he hadn’t even been trying to fight, nor was he even in peak condition!

Harry was so screwed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's a wrap for this book! Thanks so much for reading it! And I hope that you all read my next one too!   
Thank you so much for the comments!  
Ink...


End file.
